International student workers in Myrtle Beach struggle to find safe, affordable housing
Between the influx of tourists and rapidly increasing local population, finding safe, affordable housing for the annual rush of international summer workers often presents a struggle.
These student visa holders, typically referred to as J-1 workers after the name of the federal visa program that permits them into the U.S., usually come by the thousands every summer to fill low-wage seasonal jobs.
The COVID-19 pandemic prevented those students from coming last summer and severely hampered the program this year, but housing issues are continuing to persist, with one notable example.
Earlier this week, Myrtle Beach police responded to a house in the 800 block of 66th Avenue North Kings Highway after receiving information about a rental apartment in a garage.
Three J-1 workers were living in the garage owned by Romeo Qendro, who did not have proper permits or licenses for the residence. The Myrtle Beach Fire Marshall also cited him for limited air conditioning and dangerous conditions.
Christy Morris, the Director of All Nations Cafe, a volunteer group that provides meals and activities for the international students, said the sponsor company, which helps students secure visas and work, was not local, which causes issues.
“They’re just going by something they’ve seen in a picture and don’t see the true housing,” she said “This sponsor didn’t seem to be aware of the true nature of the housing.” The sponsor company, which she declined to name is based in California and is new to the area, according to Morris.
The three students who lived in Qendro’s garage had not been participating with All Nations Cafe, but Morris was happy to help them after police contacted her.
“The students were asking, wanting to be relocated to a more safe place,” she said.
Alex Ibanescu, a local representative for J-1 sponsor organization Cultural Homestay International, which was not the sponsor for the students involved, said this year has proven particularly difficult for students seeking housing, despite the reduced volume of participants.
He pointed to the bustling local real estate market and uncertainty surrounding the ability of J-1 workers to travel here as primary causes. Landlords who previously provided reliable housing options for the international students have been selling their properties, and sponsors are having trouble keeping up with when workers are arriving as international consulates are starting to open up and fast-track visa waivers, Ibanescu explained.
Ibanescu echoed Morris by suggesting the improper housing in the garage likely could’ve been avoided or resolved sooner if their sponsor had a local representative, as he’s able to have more consistent, direct contact with the students his organization sponsors here.
He noted that sponsors are supposed to solicit monthly reports from their students that include questions about their housing, but it’s really up to the students to voice concerns. Otherwise, Ibanescu said, the sponsors can’t do much to help, noting that he’s had instances where he’s suggested a student move out of a substandard living situation only to be rebuffed by the student, who responded that they’re happy.
Generally, J-1 student housing is either employer-provided, sponsor-assisted or arranged by the student, which Ibanescu called “must arrange.” He noted that most students coming to the Myrtle Beach area fall under the latter.
There’s a website, myrtlebeachj1students.com, that offers a number of pre-approved landlords for incoming students to contact, but Ibanescu said some J-1 workers try to find housing through social media, and that’s where some issues can occur.
Morris said Qendro is part of a group of landlords that volunteers consistently provide inadequate housing and unfortunately the students living in his garage, after initially housed safely through All Nations Cafe, were contacted by another known member of that group and are now likely back in poor living conditions. She declined to name the landlord or sponsors.
Ibanescu noted that an ideal solution for the area, which seems to be increasingly reliant on these international workers during peak summer months, is to follow the lead of Wisconsin Dells, which built dorm-style housing specifically to house J-1 students.
Overall, though, Ibanescu said the city and volunteers including Morris are doing a great job because the majority of students he hears from speak highly of their time in Myrtle Beach, and it’s unfortunate that negative outliers including this latest issue and the recent federal charges against a local hospitality company for allegedly abusing foreign workers are giving the area a bad name.
This story was originally published July 19, 2021 at 1:41 PM.
