Town Applauds UNC Apartment Idea

Construction of the new apartment buildings is outlined in UNC's Development Plan, which was passed by the Chapel Hill Town Council Oct. 3.

The Development Plan is an eight-year guideline for campus growth. Because the apartments are included in the plan, UNC will not need to seek town approval to begin construction.

But officials are still looking for a location for the housing project.

Construction could take place behind Hinton James Residence Hall. The apartments would cater to juniors, seniors and graduate students.

The housing is expected to benefit the University directly by providing much-needed bed space to combat an increase in enrollment. UNC officials estimated in August that the number of both on- and off-campus student residents will increase 33.6 percent in the next decade.

But Town Council member Jim Ward said he believes the proposed apartments additionally would benefit the population of Chapel Hill, as well as students.

"One resident can't afford the same rent that four students can split," Ward said. "Any housing that the University can create for students will begin to address the impact that student housing has on the cost of rental houses."

Chapel Hill Mayor Kevin Foy said another benefit of the on-campus housing would be its implication on affordable housing opportunities in town. Foy said he believes the apartments could help lower rental rates in the area and free up scarce housing for low-income residents.

Chris Payne, UNC's housing director, said the idea for the new apartments stemmed from student interest, the estimated influx of new students in coming years and UNC's Master Plan, which is the 50-year blueprint for campus growth.

"I think that this will be positively received by students because we're offering them a type of housing that a lot of students have shown interest in," Payne said.

Payne said University officials hope to see the new apartments provide between 750 and 1,000 new bed spaces for students by fall 2005 and lower the amount of students who choose to live off campus.

Although Chapel Hill officials haven't been officially contacted yet about the apartments on South Campus, Foy said he was pleased with the steps the University was taking to combat the problems associated with student housing.

"Approximately 68 percent of students live off campus, so anything that the University can do to make on-campus living more attractive is welcomed by the town," Foy said.

Ward said he agrees the new apartments are an ideal and necessary way to strike a balance between providing adequate affordable housing for families and students in the community.

"Every little bit helps," Ward said. "We're always going to have a large amount of students living off campus, but steps like this help out a lot."

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.