CHRONICLE EXCLUSIVE: Effective immediately, Avalon Walk in Hamden has a new policy regarding full-time undergraduate students. According to a letter that was sent to Avalon Walk residents by the management of the housing complex, excessive noise, parking issues, trash in breezeways, loud parties, littering in common areas and speeding caused the management at Avalon to change policy.

The new policy will not affect the apartments of undergraduate students already living at Avalon Walk nor the renewal of those apartments, granted the current occupants of those apartments remain in full compliance with Avalon Walk’s policies and procedures.

Under the new policy, several new rules will go into effect immediately, according to a letter sent out by Avalon:
1. Undergraduate students will no longer be able to roommate release and add on new undergraduate students to their existing apartment so they can keep the apartment.
2. These undergraduate students will be unable to give notice on one apartment in order to move into another apartment, thereby creating a new roommate situation.
3. Once a full-time undergraduate student moves out of an apartment, he/she will not be allowed to move back into the community.
4. Evictions will continue to take place on any apartments that are not in compliance with the policies at Avalon Walk.

Manuel Carriero, vice president and dean of students, said the decision of Avalon is “very disappointing for everyone concerned.” He said that the university “will do the best we can for our students.”

A spokesperson for AvalonBay Communities said there “have been numerous problems over time.” She said “we tried to work this through and to maintain a sense of community but felt that we had to be concerned for the entire community.” The spokesperson, who would not give her name, said the problem occurred for several years and “has gotten to the breaking point.”

When asked why individual students were not evicted, she said “this is not an isolated incident, it goes back for some time. However, the community does regret that it had to take this action.”

She said the policy change is limited to just the Avalon Walk community in Hamden.

There are 764 units at Avalon Walk, a complex that was built in 1992. Rent ranges from $962 per month to upwards of almost $1600 per month depending on the specific rental.