Temple University
- Off-Campus Housing

Off Campus Housing

Temple is in a very poor neighborhood of North Philadelphia. Houses are not too expensive depending on location so it all comes down to weighing your options in regards to location/safety and pricing. The closer to campus the more expensive it is of course but the safer one feels.

Philadelphia Row Homes: "Not Too Shabby"

The past few years, Temple University's growth flooded the housing industry with opportunities to gain profit. Everywhere you turn, new row homes are filling the once empty lots of North Philadelphia and one thing's for sure, the availability of new homes is unlike ever before. Temple University has teamed up with private contractors and property owners to link students with landlords. From my experience in two off campus apartments dealing with three different landlords, I can honestly say that it is 'not too shabby.' Rent usually range from $500 to $800 (utilities, cable, and electric/gas sometimes not included) depending on the space you are searching for. Most of the newly built homes are walking distance from campus and most people in Philadelphia have a bicycle. The only issue is that it can get dangerous sometimes in North Philly if you are not careful, but the University provides services for safe transport home, especially at nighttime.

EXPENSIVE, BAD LANDLORDS, Unsafe

Off-campus housing is not great; occasionally you make a good find, but the nice houses are very expensive--definitely overpriced because the landlords know there are college students around who need housing--it is pretty tough to find something within very close vicinity to campus, and the area generally tends to feel pretty unsafe; though that is not necessarily true for all off campus housing, some of the options a few blocks from campus aren't too bad. The landlords vary; in my experience a lot of them do not keep up with the house, they neglect problems that are brought to their attention, and generally do not put a lot of work into their properties. as aforementioned, they overcharge as well. Housing definitely isn't scarce and it's easy to find, but its not cheap and sometimes pretty far off from the safety of campus. Temple offers some help; not tons, but there are resources for students looking for housing or roommates, which is nice--and they have an off-campus living fair.