‘Something to look forward to’: Students weigh housing options for fall 2021

Less than a month ago, residence halls were "de-densified" due to coronavirus clusters emerging across campus. As the traditional deadline for next year's on-campus housing approaches, some students have already started looking off-campus, while others are left to wonder when they have to make their next housing decision.

Allan Blattner, executive director of Carolina Housing, said the housing application process typically occurs in late October/early November, but that this year the process will be run entirely in the early spring semester due to COVID-19.

No deadlines have been set according to Blattner. 

“There are so many unknowns right now, obviously about the spring, but even about the fall,” Blattner said. “One of the things that’s hard is the longer you wait the better the picture is. The trouble is, that means you’ve got to wait.” 

Blattner said Carolina Housing will create a housing program based on the status of the University and the offered methods of class instruction.

“It’s the University’s plan for academics that drives that conversation,” he said. 

Blattner said he recognizes that many first-years were unable to have a typical “first-year experience” living on-campus. He said he hopes that next fall, Carolina Housing can help fill that gap in their college experience by providing a sense of normalcy and helping students make connections their sophomore year. 

First-year Kyle Sandino lived in Ehringhaus Residence Hall for two-and-a-half weeks before he moved back home to Huntersville. He said he misses the feeling of being at college lately and has already started to think about moving back to Chapel Hill next fall.

“As much as I would like to say that I have a secure plan, it’s still up in the air for me,” Sandino said. 

Sandino said he is torn between living on-campus and off-campus. He wants the first-year experience he only got a taste of, but thinks it could be safer to live in an apartment. 

UNC's Residence Hall Association hopes to help provide clarity for students like Sandino that are considering moving to campus, said Kira Griffith, president of the RHA. 

She said they will offer town hall-type events where students can express their concerns and ask questions, in addition to posting updates on social media and through their Listserv. Additionally, the RHA will continue to meet monthly with Carolina Housing senior leadership to provide further transparency and get students’ questions answered, Griffith said.

“I think a lot of students are considering whether or not to return to campus because they’re worried about having to pick up and move again,” she said. “The pandemic that we’re in is a very serious situation, and we cannot underestimate how quickly things can spiral out of control.”  

Griffith said she sees how these fears could spread to next fall, but that the RHA board will continue to serve residents through the uncertainty.

“My main goal is for all of us to dig deep and really think about our mission: why we’re here in the first place,” Griffith said. “And that is to serve the residents and to advocate for them.”  

Even amidst uncertainty for next year, many housing processes have continued as usual. While some students struggle to decide where to live next fall, others have already signed leases.

Right now, about the same number of people are signing apartment leases compared to this time last year, Carolina Square community manager Hannah Elliott said. Similarly, Emily Keady, leasing assistant at Shortbread Lofts, hasn’t noticed any significant change in interest to lease next fall. 

Last week, sophomore Brandi Nguyen signed a lease with seven friends for an off-campus duplex. She said COVID-19 amplified the stress of finding a house in Chapel Hill.

“We weren’t all able to see the house in-person,” Nguyen said. “We had to base this big financial decision on some videos.”

She said she began her house hunt the week before classes started, and that she felt pressure to sign a lease quickly. Nguyen reached out to her sister’s past landlord about available properties and even considered posting in Facebook groups to see if any people were passing down houses. 

Nguyen said she considered living at home next year to save money, but decided that living near campus would be better for her mental health. She said that, if the pandemic is still prevalent, she would rather quarantine with her friends to salvage as much of their college experience as possible.

“We wanted to be back on campus because we really like the vibe,” Nguyen said. “If we can recreate our college experience as close as we can, we want to do that because COVID is taking away some of that. Now, I have something to look forward to that helps me get through this time.”

@_AnneTate_

university@dailytarheel.com