There is a relatively high ratio of rental housing in Morris, compared to owner occupied housing. As a consequence, tensions between landlords and tenants have been exacerbated. Many renters are students at UMM, so age issues have also arisen. In some cases, gender and race issues have been wrapped into these tensions as well.
Even simple things, such as students parking their cars near the campus have drawn the ire of community residents and City Council action has followed. There are a large number of absentee landlords in Morris, who are slow to respond to the complaints of neighbors. For their part, students and young persons in general feel their rights have been de-emphasized at best, and in some ways ignored.
Establishment of the Morris Rental Housing Commission will provide stakeholders from all sides to work out issues such as rental unit safety requirements, landlord and tenant rights, etc. In addition, educational opportunities in this arena will be offered, both in the form of training workshops and website creation. The goal of this activity is an effective transfer of shared community values, e.g., fair treatment, tolerance, mutual respect, etc., into necessary community planning documents and ordinances. It is expected that just the process of establishment and joint exploration of issues will provide opposing groups the opportunity to approach common ground.
Morris COPC Partnership - Adapting to Change: Managing Urbanization in Rural America
Morris Rental Housing Commission
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