Student Objects to Housing Provided by EF School

Just an observation - they are free to pay for their own housing or remain in the country they came from.

Just an observation - they (scary fureners that they are) ARE paying for the housing described.

if you've ever done study abroad in any country you'll find it's very hit or miss on finding housing, even with host families. To say they can stay where they came from is simply an amazing observation. They are asking for reasonable housing during their time here, how awful of these stupid fuzzy foreigners that come to our town to spend money. I'm sure Dario Pini, slumlord extraordinaire is probably rolling out the red carpet for them. Go back to where you came from you jerks that support our local economy! I hate your free money!

Just a note on these EF students. A fair number of them are sent to study in the US because they got in some kind of trouble back home. I've heard a few horror stories from families that have hosted these students (coming home late and waking the family up, coming home extremely drunk, theft, vandalism in retaliation for house rules they didn't like, etc.).

I'm not saying all of the EF students are like this, but they are developing this reputation, and as ordinary families begin to shun them, they're more likely to wind up in substandard housing. Maybe EF could do a better job of screening who they let in.

Importation of people from foreign countries into substandard housing...gettin' to be a familiar theme. Maybe we should fix our country before bringing yet more people into an already overcrowded mess.

Everything I said is true! They have the choice of A, spending their own money to improve their housing situation, or B, going back home! The US offers freedom of choice! We don't need people from other countries whining and expecting someone else to improve their status in life. We have enough of those types here already.

I also have a friend who in her good heart hosted some of these students from Japan. At first she was kind and naive enough to show them around, take them to Disneyland etc. They were ingrateful, ate all the food out of her refridgerator, and expected her to keep it full for them while all they did was stay out late partying coming home drumk , smoking in her house, using her computer to search for porn, ended up ruining it with adware and spyware... she quickly learned her lesson and kicked them out. Most of these kids deserve nothing better than the slum housing they are provided - don't come over here with your hands out complaining that they aren't being filled.

Oh also - they were stealing out of her purse. To say that they come to spend money is a laugh. I think we can do without the paltry sum, if they can't afford to improve their living conditions by their own means.

AShaw wrote, "Most of these kids deserve nothing better than the slum housing they are provided ..."

Really, you've done a survey and have the statistics to back that up or are you just blowing smoke?

Unbelievable comments here about foreign students studying English in this city! No wonder this country has such an increasingly poor reputation abroad.

As for the housing, I believe there are housing standards applicable to all. I wonder, too, since Dario Pini is involved in at least on of the houses, if where these students are being housed have all the required city permits.

I hope the City housing department will investigate the practices of EF and other schools that either provide or recommend specific housing. It should be part of the business licensing if it is not already.

Well, I also lived in dorm for a month this summer from EF…
No matter what the article ‘s opinion, I really had a wonderful time in Santa Barbara.
I really like this places, I will come back one day.

I'm truly shocked about the opinions I read above. First I was a EF student this year and last year too and I know how the housing situation is. It's very bad. The houses I got were dirty and the host-mother I stayed at has never talked to me for the four weeks I spent at her house!
But the point is that I don't blame all the hostfamilies in Santa Barbara. I think you can't blame such things on all of them. That's just not fair as it is not fair to say all foreign students are bullies, thiefs and make everything dirty. I think there are a lot of very careful, nice families out there in santa barbara!

Finally I have to say that I'm glad that there are still a lot of open-minded families in SB, who are willing to welcome new students to their homes. I'm truly sorry for those families who got students who were violent and stuff. But as I said, the majority of EF's students aren't! I thought America was a melting pot and the people are very open-minded, but when I read the comments above I have to say that I'm not sure anymore, wether the people are as friendly as I thought!