Staff Editorial: Facilities needs a budget increase

It has been a tough year for Facilities and Real Estate Services. That means it has also been a tough year for students living on campus.

The horror stories abound. Students in Gregory College House spent a large portion of the winter without heat. Concrete chunks of the Richards Building in the School of Medicine complex are falling to the ground. There is flooding in Harrison College House, and mold in DuBois. Students sporadically lose water, power and Internet access. Mice and roaches invade even the cleanest of rooms. And all too often, when these problems are reported, getting them fixed involves repeated calls and delays, if they are fixed at all.

For Penn students living on campus, the quality of life could be a bit better.

However, we cannot fault Facilities for these shortcomings. In fact, given the department's budget constraints, the amount that it does is commendable. With a $150 million budget and a to-do list that some have estimated at $800 million, the math does not compute. Realistically, Facilities needs a larger budget to do its job.

Obviously, this is easier said than done. Money is tight, and Penn funds hundreds of important projects. But if the University is truly interested in keeping students on campus, as they say they are, increasing the budget for Facilities is imperative.

If Penn managed to increase the budget for Facilities, allowing it to actually perform extensive repairs instead of quick fix solutions, the University could conceivably make back the money by raising rent costs in the future. This would make far more sense than raising the rent now -- while on-campus living leaves a lot to be desired -- which could have extremely negative consequences.

Increasing the budget for any department in the University is always a lot to ask. There are a plethora of areas of Penn that require funding. But the vast majority of undergraduates will spend at least a year in the College House System, and many spend all four years living on campus. Our quality of life for these four years is extremely important to us, and in light of current conditions, some review and action is required.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.