Welcome to the new normal for everyone living almost everywhere, even in the Rentals around Ohio University. Recently it seems like a day does not pass without hearing the word coronavirus or the acronym COVID-19, which is the technical name for the current virus sweeping the globe. We often hear the word pandemic included in the news we consume as well. We have seen the impact locally in several ways. Follow along if you also want to talk about about a few situations we know about.
Rentals Affected
With purchased or rentals, people need housing. This constant cuts across all demographics. College students make up a large part of the population in Athens. When it comes to rentals in Athens, college students make up the majority of the people living in the rental housing around town. This is important because many of those people come from somewhere else. It’s also easy for many of these same people to just go back home. Why do we bring this up? When all these people leave town, the locals notice. The local economy is also heavily impacted.
Businesses Impacted
Most of the businesses in the Court Street area cater to the Ohio University student population. When the governor of Ohio closes all businesses that promote and rely on large amounts of people, that hurts all the local commerce needing tons of paying customers just to keep up with the monthly bills. We turn our heads to the local eateries, watering holes, and retail shops that line the uptown streets. These places will surely feel the brunt of this epidemic. With no end in sight, we suggest patronizing these places as much as possible to help offset any potential problems. If you want to visit these places in the near future, they will require some serious love in the short term.