With the recent appointment of new CUNY Chancellor, Félix V. Matos Rodríguez, we as a university system must ask: why are we paying housing stipends for our top administrators? 

On top of receiving a $670,000 paycheck, Rodríguez stands to get a $7,500 monthly housing allowance — a princely sum that is roughly $4,000 more than what the typical adjunct makes per three-credit class. 

Even in New York, $7,500 for housing is ridiculous. The average monthly rent in New York City is $4,188, according to rental listing tool, RENTCafé.  The fact that the CUNY chancellor receives much more than this is indicative of how unfair our university system truly is. Though the chancellor is surely doing important work, why does he receive an extra, exorbitant stipend on top of the money he already receives? 

Other administrators also receive housing allowances, with presidents receiving $5,000. All administrator housing allowances only go into effect in the absence of university-provided housing.

CUNY perfectly encapsulates the income inequality within New York City. While some in CUNY receive thousands of dollars’ worth of housing allowances, others don’t even make the same amount of money for their entire salaries. We as students must take a hard look at our administrators’ compensation and assess what these numbers mean and if they reflect the current financial realities and difficulties CUNY faces each day. Together, we can advocate for our university.