I was initially excited about Ivory House in 2023, especially since I had received their scholarship for the new school year that Fall (which I ended up using toward Lassonde Studios), but my experience with their leasing process was pretty disappointing. During my phone interview I was told the only thing I’d need to pay was the security deposit, but the lease later showed that two months of rent were due up front. When I pushed back about feeling misled, I was told I could be sent to collections for the full year even if I didn’t live there, and I was only allowed to cancel for about a $300 relet fee, which I felt I had to threaten legal action to even get offered. Communication was often difficult, since calls sometimes went unanswered and an email listed on the website bounced, although they were very quick to follow up when it came to getting me to sign. After I paid the fee and received my move-out statement, my resident portal login was disabled, so I could no longer view my payment history or agreements. When I later tried opening the application portal to double-check something, I received a call and voicemail shortly afterward asking if I was still interested in housing, even though my situation should already have been clear. The timing felt odd and added to my discomfort with the process. I was also surprised by some strict rules, like not being allowed to bring your own mini fridge, and when I asked about Ivory House being owned by the LDS Church because I felt I wasn’t being treated in a very Christlike way, the property manager, CaNisha, told me that at the end of the day it is still a business, which made the pricing feel at odds with the way the place is marketed as an altruistic mission. I also noticed on their Instagram stories that they occasionally offered gift cards for leaving reviews, which didn’t inspire much confidence. I will say the scholarship luncheon was nice, the turkey sandwiches were actually pretty good, the staff and donors were pleasant in person, and the building and location are great. At the same time, the overall process, pressure, and mixed messages left a bad taste in my mouth and ultimately made me decide not to live there. My scholarship also wasn’t renewed for the following year, even though my situation hadn’t changed, which added to my uneasiness given everything that had already happened, although I don’t know if the two were related. I am genuinely grateful that the scholarship helped reduce my housing costs for a year, especially as a first-generation, out-of-state student already carrying around $100K in student debt with limited support. But between this situation and some broader frustrations I’ve had navigating the university as a whole, the experience still left me feeling disappointed, which is unfortunate because I really wanted to feel good about being part of something that is presented as a supportive, mission-driven partnership with the U.
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