Many residents at The Edge, a student-housing apartment on Euclid Ave, are feeling frustrated over a recent series of changes in the building that they feel shows a disregard for their privacy and safety.

Over the course of the 2024-2025 academic year, The Edge has rolled out new policies and changes that are ultimately designed to increase student safety, according to its messaging.

These changes began in the fall 2024 semester when The Edge let go a handful of community assistants, or student residence life workers. In the previous academic year, each of the eleven floors had a CA assigned to it to assist residents with any issues. 

In addition, The Edge announced last month that they would be conducting monthly room checks for prohibited items, which could result in warnings or fines. Some residents, however, said that these changes ultimately serve as disguises for the university to save money.

Grace Prentice, a junior film major, is a second year resident at the Edge who shared their frustrations. 

“I’m not at all surprised that they have implemented this strict of a policy,” Prentice said. “We have known for a while that Cleveland State is in a massive financial deficit. This seems like a thinly veiled attempt at trying to make money back where they can, and it is poorly impacting students' abilities to feel safe in their environments when once a month they have to worry about someone entering their room.”

In Nov. 2023, CSU President Laura Bloomberg, Ph.D., told The Cleveland Stater that the university's original goal for acquiring The Edge was to provide students with more independent and safe housing options downtown that were still affordable. Prentice, among other residents, said the new changes threaten that promise of independence within their spaces.

The issue of safety is not reserved to the inside of the building. On the outside, The Edge parking garage has undergone changes that some residents feel have decreased their safety, such as the removal of security gates and taking away assigned parking spots for the lower/upper levels.

These changes began in Fall 2024 when operations of the garage were transferred to Parking and Transportation Services. The result was an increase of crimes, to which Prentice fell victim when the catalytic converter was cut and stolen from her car whilst parked in the formerly-gated lower level of the garage. 
 

Image

Plumbing issues

Residents have also expressed frustrations over plumbing issues in the building, including flooding and semi-frequent water shut offs.

Kodi Reynolds, an Edge resident since May 2024, said that there have been approximately 10 water shut-offs since he moved in less than a year ago. According to Reynolds, the shut-offs often come with a last minute warning via email and are very disruptive to his daily routine.

“It’s so inconvenient when you wake up to go to work and try to go shower, and they say ‘sorry, no water,’” Reynolds said. “Then you come back from work and there’s still no water, so that’s infuriating."

The water problem also impacts student’s ability to use their sinks, dishwashers, washing machines and toilets which will only fill with the water left in the tanks. 

Both Prentice and Reynolds have one more year left at the university, but are looking for cheaper off-campus housing options for their senior year.

“I will not be returning,” Prentice said. “Originally, the inclusion of our utilities and our water in the cost was enticing. Now, knowing how inconsistent the provision of those utilities are in addition to the fact that there is very little support to students definitely led to that decision.”

Reynolds agreed, saying that he feels “reduced to my ID number” whilst living at The Edge. 

These students represent a larger community of residents who are beginning to search for new housing options due to the recent changes at The Edge.

The Stater reached out to the university for a comment on the student concerns, and will update this story if one is forthcoming.