HBCUs including A&T are exploring solutions to secure housing for upperclassmen as enrollment numbers increase.
By: Jada Long
As students climb the academic ladder at North Carolina A&T, they face more challenging classes…and opportunities to find housing. N.C. A&T junior, Asia Shands, shares the distress of several students who are trying to make sense of what they describe as an “unjust housing problem for older students.”
“The housing crisis at N.C. A&T is unfair,” Shands, who is from Louisville, Kentucky. “I know folks who are in-state and are the same classification as me who have lived on campus for all three years, but I can’t even find housing on campus.”
Monica Miller, whose daughter is a junior calls the housing situation “unacceptable.” She has to pay for her daughter’s electricity and rent for an off-campus apartment, which adds to the stress of paying for tuition, she said.
A five-story residential hall is being built by N.C. A&T, in response to the severity of the situation and announced intentions to start building in late autumn. The $60 million initiave aims to improve housing concern by providing more housing for students—especially upperclassmen who have been unfairly impacted by a system they say favors freshmen.
The ambitious plan to finish the dorm by fall 2025 was presented by Robert Pompey, the university’s vice chancellor for business and finance. Upon its debut it will be the first new dorm at N.C. A&T in over a decade years.
In order to meet the demands of its students, N.C. A&T has purchased six private apartment buildings since 2018. The present housing shortage highlights the need for a more significant, long-term solution, which is why the new residence hall is being built.
Housing problems are not exclusive to N.C. A&T; Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are facing comparable difficulties across the country. The modest liberal arts college, Fisk University (Nashville, TN), has embraced creativity and is offering more accommodation choices for its expanding student body by repurposing shipping containers. Motivated by student feedback, Fisk’s approach highlights the significance of including the student population in the process of identifying workable solutions.
In addition, institutions work with the HBCU Healthy Housing Initiative, which is sponsored by the advocacy group Student Housing of America, to convert foreclosed buildings into student-friendly affordable housing. This program demonstrates a more comprehensive, neighborhood-based strategy for resolving student housing issues.
Although the construction of a new residence hall by N.C. A&T is a significant move in the right direction, the timeline poses an obstacle. Since the dormitory is expected to be finished by fall 2025, many upperclassmen may not have access to on-campus living during that time. Underfunding and rising enrollment are the core causes of long-standing systemic problems that are reflected in the housing crises at HBCUs, including N.C. A&T.
In addition, other historically Black colleges around the country, such as Tennessee State University and Howard University, have had comparable housing difficulties, suggesting a larger need for ongoing assistance and structural adjustments. Other HBCUs are following N.C. A&T and buying local apartment complexes nearby. Other universities are expanding by building more dorms.
HBCUs often encounter different housing issues than predominantly white institutions (PWI). Historically, HBCUs have gotten less financing than many PWIs. Many HBCUs have seen significant enrollment increases t in recent years. A&T’s enrollment has increased by 400 students since the last academic year, continuing its annual growth trend. Nationwide, the increase in student numbers could put an added burden on the housing infrastructure, resulting in congestion and a lack of suitable housing.
When compared to PWIs, HBCUs also frequently have smaller endowments, meaning they have less money to spend on housing. Because of larger issues such as redlining, which historically limited Black communities from accessing housing and economic resources, HBCUs may suffer systemic housing challenges.North Carolina A&T anticipates the opening of its latest housing option in the next year, students can find more information about on-campus and off-campus housing online and by connecting with Housing & Residence Life.
Jada Long is a North Carolina A&T junior multimedia journalism student from Raleigh, North Carolina.
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