For the first time ever, this fall seniors will have the option of selecting off-campus housing owned by the College through the Office of Residential Life, creating a new breed of housing similar to the river apartments.
Following the College's purchase of several off-campus houses and apartment buildings in the past several months, ORL is attempting to alleviate a portion of the housing crunch by offering seniors the new housing, according to Dean of the College Martin Redman.
"We began the process in late May and early June," Redman said. "We're following the seniority system and blitzing small groups of students and offering them the chance to move out of traditional residential options and into these if they're interested."
Redman said the College is offering students the housing for themselves and, if applicable, the groups they blocked with during the room draw last spring. The offers are being extended in order of students' housing priority numbers.
He said that, while students will be given the option of having the off-campus rents billed by the College along with their tuition, market rates will determine the rental costs and students will deal with the College's rental office, not with ORL.
Some houses and apartments may not include utilities, adding additional cost and responsibility for students.
Students will also be required to sign leases similar to those signed by those living in off-campus housing not owned by the College. This marks a significant change for those used to living in College-owned dormitories.
The College plans to offer all of the apartments that meet current housing code standards and to make improvements to others in the coming months so that they meet those standards.
Redman said that about 60 beds meet the standards now and will be open to students.
"As of last week about 25 or 26 of the people we've spoken with have made the choice," he said, adding that about 20 additional students responded to offers last week which may be enough to fill the remaining beds.
Students are permitted to change their residency from campus housing to the apartments along with anyone they blocked with during the spring room draw.
Those who are moving off-campus "were mostly early picks in the lottery process," Redman said. "They mainly blocked in singles, not doubles or triples."
Students currently in senior apartments will, for the most part, not be eligible for the off-campus apartments.
The rooms that open as a result of the new housing will be used to satisfy the needs of students currently on the wait list, according to Redman.
He added that there are currently about 80 students on the list awaiting housing, but that there are additional beds opening up now that all of the incoming freshman have been housed.
Redman said he believes that, after the first week of classes this fall, all students desiring College housing will have beds. "I'm a firm believer that there will be about 20 to 30 vacancies," he said, citing similar figures in past years.
He added, however, that despite about 80 new beds in the East Wheelock cluster, the number of students waiting for housing is about the same as in past years.
"My impression is that more seniors want to live on campus next year than in the past," he said.
