As student housing options increase with varying proposals to build apartments both on and nearby Sacramento State’s campus, the price, quality and location of living are some of the issues being looked at by potential residents.

Facing the decision to live in either the dorms, a nearby complex or an independently rented house, students who chose to live conveniently close to campus are forced to weigh-in on the pros and cons of their options.

Daniel Rios is a 18-year-old kinesiology major who moved into the dorms last fall for his first semester.

 “I enjoy it,” Rios said. “There’s a lot of people to meet and it’s right on campus so I don’t have to worry about driving to school.”

The dorms currently consist of seven halls, including the upperclassmen-only American River Courtyard, with each building containing approximately 200 to 300 students.

The dorms are completely furnished and include meals that are paid for in advance. While the classes are a ten minute walk away, the costs of living in the dorms is enough for students like Rios to consider moving out.

“It’s so expensive to live here,” Rios said. ”I plan not to live on campus next year because of that. I feel like it would be less expensive and more of an independent step in my life. I want to search around areas that I know people currently live in and search mainly by price.”

In his spring address, President Alexander Gonzalez said the Student Housing Advisory Committee has been working on a proposal for additional on-campus housing.

The proposed site of the new residence hall is in front of Desmond Hall and would be available in fall 2017, if approved by the California State University Board of Trustees. Housing about 350 students total, the new dorm would likely be configured in pods that accommodate 10 students at a time.

“This configuration enhances privacy and community, which are both important factors for students making choices on where they will live,” Gonzalez said.

Amongst the many freshmen dorm residents who chose to move off campus, Alyssa Offenger, a 23-year old English major, moved directly into Rivercrest Village after residing in Desmond Hall,

“I liked the dorms because that’s where I met all my friends and it gave me that college experience I wanted, but it was extremely expensive,” Offenger said. “I chose Rivercrest because that’s where all my friends wanted to go.”

Offenger said though Rivercrest has its benefits like the decent price and location near campus and near the American River, there are several living challenges she is forced to overcome.

“It has poor quality,” Offenger said. “They are very good about fixing everything and they do it for free, but it’s just annoying that it’s bad quality in the first place.”

Despite the living conditions, a gated entry and paladin security roaming Rivercrest at all hours provides a safe environment for Offenger and other students.

Though much of the student housing surrounding campus is privately gated and secured, just across from Rivercrest stands the University Village, which is known for its lack of safety.

In 2011, a shooting near the University Village apartment complex in broad daylight left one man with a gunshot wound to the arm.

“The area by (University Village) is really sketchy and I don’t like walking around there at all ever ” said Morgan Jones, a 22-year-old psychology major.

After transferring to Sacramento  State in 2012, Jones decided to move into Rivercrest, but because of the cost decided to live in a house the following year.

“Living off Bradshaw is annoying because it adds so much more time because Folsom and the freeway are always so busy in the morning, but it’s much-much cheaper,” Jones said. “I feel a lot safer where I live now too. It’s a family neighborhood.”