It could be the lowest increase in the past four years.

The proposed 6.5 percent increase on housing rates for the next academic year for students living in residence halls is the main agenda item for the Board of Trustees, which meets at 1 p.m. today in the Grand Ballroom of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union.

Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining, said half of the increase would go toward renovations in the residence halls if approved.

“This coming summer we’re doing a big project in Douglas (Hall) where we are doing several things, including a total bathroom renovation,” Hudson said.

The other half of the increase would go toward inflation increases on utilities and food, he added.

He said housing and dining has multiple year contracts with utility companies and food distributors that project costs in the future.

“We don’t know every single dollar, but we are making projections based on what the market is telling us,” Hudson said.

The housing rates cover residence halls, Greek Court and university apartments like University Court.

If a student living in a residence hall or Greek Court has a 12-meal plan plus $100 dining dollars, the student will have to pay a $223 increase from the housing rate of this current academic year.

The proposed 6.5 increase, however, is the lowest it has been in a while. This year, the rate is at 6.95 percent. In 2006-2007, it was 7.5 percent, and it was 7.77 percent in 2005-2006.

The reason for the high increases the past few years was wage increases.

“It was particularly high for a couple of those years because of the significant increase in minimum wage,” Hudson said. “We have a lot of students that work for us, and the minimum wage went up 18 percent.”

He said housing and dining had to recoup those dollars, and the way the office does it is with the rate increase.

Hurricane Katrina affected the utility market significantly the past few years, too, Hudson added.

The bond revenue committee also decides the housing rate for each academic year.

The committee comprises three student government members selected by the student body president and three members selected by the residence hall association president.

Hudson said he and his staff met with the committee for about 10 hours over the course of several weeks. In those meetings, Hudson said, the whole budget is laid out from income to expenses.

President Bill Perry met with Dan Nadler, vice president for student affairs, to review what the committee had compiled.

“It looked to me like a very thorough analysis,” Perry said.

Nadler said the rate is the best in Illinois.

“It is our belief that, considering all of the value added items in our program, we provide the best value in the state of Illinois,” he said.

Hudson said housing and dining receives no money from the state, and the office prides itself on surveying Eastern students and figuring out what they want improved.

“All the money we get is from the people who use our services,” he said. “So, we have to do a good job in order for people to live with us – or else we are not paying our bills.”

Stephen Di Benedetto can be reached at 581-7945 or sdibenedetto@eiu.edu.