For the most part Charleston is a beautiful city. With the beautification of Eastern campus, the number of city parks and wild-life areas, Charleston does not look like a dingy city – at least on the surface.

But if one takes the time to look beyond the beautiful aspects of the city, they will discover its ugly secret.

Substandard housing has been an ongoing problem to those students who venture off the confines of campus and for the first time have a place that they can call home.

It’s encouraging to hear the the Charleston City Council will once again look at a growing problem in this town. At some point, there is a potential that every Eastern student will look for a home outside of the campus area. What most students will find is that the quality of housing available to them is below par.

It’s sad to think that any landlord would allow a piece of property – with their name on it-to sink to such unsafe conditions.

It is time for the City Council to look into the problem and find a solution that will be beneficial to all parties involved.

Charleston is unique in the sense that every other city which has a state university has a rental inspection program already implemented.

A rental inspection program is a good idea for a university community because it assures students that quality housing will be available to them.

Nearly everyday a horror story can be heard about bats flying around apartments, moldy carpeting that sprout mushrooms and poor building constructions. The majority of these sub-standard rentals are leased by students.

To combat theses problems, City Council members need to work together with Eastern’s student-run external relations committee, landlords and concerned Charleston residents. But an ordinance isn’t enough. City officials need to enforce the ordinance had have fines that will discourage landlords from allowing their property to sink to such levels.

The Charleston City Council has waited long enough in addressing this ever-growing problem. It is time to figure out a solution to the problem, find a way to enforce the solution and work to get a fair ordinance through the council before the already-delapidated building create more of a nuisance to its residents.