Community members are scurrying to take advantage of the increased housing demand estimated to hit Eugene today with the start of Eugene 08: U.S. Olympic Track & Field Trials by offering to rent out whatever space they have for trial visitors to rent.
Online housing listings have been flooded with advertisements to rent or sublet houses, apartments, studios, rooms and RV spaces.
Fast Track Housing, a Web site set up specifically to post private housing options for both the trials and the Beijing 2008 Olympics, currently has over 600 postings advertising spaces for rent in Eugene. Craigslist has over 700 postings specifically for renting in Eugene during the trials, dating as far back as May 12.
Akeel Qureshi, a University student, has a total of seven people renting rooms from a house he rents out on 30th Avenue and Kincaid Street.
“I actually posted a bunch of listings for a bunch of different prices, so I’ve got a pole vaulter staying for $30 a night, and a couple staying for $8 a night,” Qureshi said. “I listed from really expensive to really cheap, and basically everything in between.”
Qureshi said that he is doing this to raise money for his roommates who are spending the summer biking across the country.
Others were not as successful in finding people to rent their spaces.
Donna Blair, a Portland resident, said that her daughter and her daughter’s roommates rent a house on 17th Avenue and Hilyard Street during the school year while attending the University. She said they have been trying for more than a month to rent out their house during the trials to bring in enough income to pay the summer rent on the property.
“We haven’t gotten a taker,” Blair said. “There’s an event in town that is supposed to bring in millions of people to Eugene. I don’t know if they’re all staying in hotels and driving like crazy or what.”
Blair said that she is surprised that no one has contacted her to rent the house.
“With three bedrooms, it’s cheaper to rent the house compared to hotel rooms for the two weeks,” she said.
On Craigslist, the house was advertised for rent at $2500 for 12 days.
Others in the area have had similar experiences trying to rent out their places.
“I think people are looking for something really cheap,” said a recent University graduate trying to rent her apartment for the trials, who did not want to be named. “I thought that based on talk about hotels that I wouldn’t have a problem filling my place for a week, but I didn’t have any interest. In theory it sounds like a good idea.”
The one-bedroom apartment located on Willamette Street and E. 20th Avenue was listed for $600.
Kari Westlund, the CEO and president of the Convention & Visitors Association of Lane County Oregon, which is assisting trial spectators find accommodation during the trials, said that CVALCO has received calls from people who are both interested in renting space or renting out their homes.
Westlund said that CVALCO has been referring these people to online providers such as Craigslist or Fast Track Housing.
Apartments and houses are not the only option to rent for the trials; both Craigslist and Fast Track Housing have numerous postings for renting RVs, RV spaces and tent spaces.
Joe Chicarino, an asphalt worker who recently moved to Eugene with his family, advertised to rent out his five-person RV that sits on his property six miles from Eugene.
After researching prices on the Fast Track Housing Web site, Chicarino chose what he considered to be a low price – $75 a night.
Chicarino advertised his RV “to make some extra money. I heard about the trials and thought it was a good idea.”
Though he has been contacted by several people, no one has agreed to rent Chicarino’s RV.
“I thought I would get more responses than I have,” he said.
Community member Matt Yokum decided Wednesday morning to advertise a tent space for rent in his backyard.
“There could be people traveling here who want to save money,” said Yokum. “I know a lot of people fly by the seat of their pants when traveling.”
Yokum advertised the site for $30 per night and included pictures of his house and yard.
Many people are offering their driving services to their renters in addition to a place to stay while they are in town.
Chicarino said that if anyone does decide to rent his RV, he will drive them the six miles to and from the trials.
Rod Holositer, a community member who advertised a RV parking place on his property in Springfield for $125 per night, said that he would drive whoever took the offer to the Springfield bus station.
“I guess the athletes are using scrappy places to live wherever they can,” said Matt Boyce, a University student trying to find a tenant to rent his apartment. “It’s strange; you don’t think of Olympic athletes as staying in apartments in the city.”
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