Homeless Week has arrived and the apartment-changing students of Provo have nowhere to go. The property management companies swooped in far more quickly than anyone anticipated. In mere hours the tenants were forced out of their apartments and onto the streets. Many have fled the city. In their wake remain a plethora of overflowing dumpsters and confusion. Others wait in desperation as traffic and construction prevent them from leaving.

The BYU Tenants Union intended to stage a protest of housing rules, but it never came to fruition. Voicing his frustration, founder Ethan Webb says, “20 years of problems and this is where we’re at.”

For decades, the property managers have imposed their will on powerless students. The BYU Tenants Union has been attempting to work with the Off-Campus Housing Office, but their goals have not yet aligned. The Tenants Union wants to take down predatory property management, while the Off-Campus Housing Office is content to sit on its hands. Many students are complacent or indifferent as they do not know a better life. This only empowers the property managers.

The Provo City Council has been heavily debating over what to do. Most of the council members want to house these roving students in their homes. A few want to make them sleep in front of their old apartments.

There is little hope the matter will be resolved anytime soon.