UAB student housing has seen an average rent increase of 2.8% annually over the past several years, while operating expenses have risen by 4.3% each year.

“The average expense increase for our expenses, utilities, supplies, salaries, the building payments for the loans — those costs have gone up 4.3%, so we still have a 1.5% difference, and the way I make that up is I try to cut costs during the year,” said Marc Booker, executive director of Housing and Dining.

Despite rising costs, UAB housing remains significantly more affordable than nearby options.

“We’re $500 a month cheaper than the local market of the apartments that you can walk to from the Hill Student Center, and so that is a demonstration that we’re doing as good of a job as we can to keep our costs low,” Booker said.

He emphasized that housing is a service, not a source of revenue.

“Nobody on this campus is in the business of making money,” he said. “It is much more about providing the service to as many students as we can at as low a cost as we possibly can get away with at the opportunity cost of not meeting all of our financial obligations when it comes to our budget.”