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Bill may make Greek housing repairs tax deductible

Tom Segell

A new bill currently being evaluated on Capitol Hill would greatly impact Greek life at Miami University and across the nation.

The bill, called the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act, calls for fraternity and sorority housing projects to be tax deductible, meaning donations made to each respective fraternity at Miami could now be used to make necessary housing augmentations or much-needed renovations.

Many fraternities - especially older ones - are in dire need of money to make essential repairs to the house, according to Miami senior Jessie Niewold, former president of Kappa Alpha Theta and member of fraternity and sorority political action committee, a group that focuses on fraternity and sorority issues in Washington, D.C.

Niewold was recently lobbying for legislators to pass the bill in Washington, D.C.

Currently, most donations made to fraternities go toward educational enterprises, which neglect urgent projects like housing renovations, according to Niewold.

"Donation money never touches the college kid's hands," Niewold said. "If I were to give a contribution, the only way it would benefit the chapter would be if it were educational."

If enacted, the bill would allow money to go to important housing projects like installing a sprinkler system, fixing a roof or removing mold, according to Niewold. Installation of a sprinkler system can cost between $80,000 and $300,000 - a cost no fraternities can afford on their own, Niewold said.

Oxford Fire Chief John Detherage said all fraternities should equipped with a fire sprinkler system.

"They should all have sprinklers, it makes the houses much safer," Detherage said. "The sprinklers take care of the fires when they are just starting out."

Detherage agreed installing a sprinkler system is an expensive task.

Only a few fraternities at Miami are outfitted with a fire sprinkler system, and many houses need vital repairs, Niewold said.

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"Considering we are one of the strongest Greek campuses in the nation, the houses should be structurally sound," Niewold said. "Greek housing is about $1,000 cheaper, but if the houses don't make safety requirements, if they are in complete disarray, nobody will want to live in them."

Senior Sam Brown, Interfraternity Council president, said he believes the bill would greatly improve not only fraternity houses, but also Greek life as a whole.

"Hopefully the bill would encourage more giving to fraternities," Brown said. "More money would translate to better houses and better houses have tons of benefits. We have a lot of fraternity houses that could use updates."

Junior Andrew Cornick, president of Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, said he was enthused about the possibility of the bill passing.

"Greek life will continue to improve students' collegiate experience and quality of living with bills being passed like the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act," Cornick said.

The bill was introduced March 17 and would cost $148 million if passed.

"It's something that's so simple and would cost barely nothing to the national deficit," Niewold said.

Niewold said she gives the bill an 80 percent chance of passing, but said for the bill to pass, it would have to be combined with a larger bill.

"The bill costs so little to the government that it has to be attached to bigger bill to pass, a bigger national initiative," Niewold said.


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