First round of students move in at UNC Charlotte, others await move in at local hotels and apartment complex due to housing shortage

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV) - On-campus move-in is underway for thousands of the UNC Charlotte 49ers, but some students are heading off campus as they wait for their next assignment.

The first round of students started moving into their residence halls on Wednesday, Aug. 17. According to the Housing and Residence Life website, an average of 6,000 students live on campus. Move-in is from the 17 to the 20.

In mid-July, WBTV reported the university was seeking alternate housing assignments for 440 students due to a shortage of on-campus living space. The number steadily decreased over time as more students canceled their housing contracts and found alternate living arrangements.

Officials previously said the shortage was due to a high interest in on-campus living and limited housing contract cancellations.

“As you may already know, the demand for on-campus housing for Fall 2022-Spring 2023 is very high. As a result of the high demand and a lack of cancellations that we typically see by this point in the summer, we anticipate that we will not be able to assign you to a space prior to the start of fall semester,” the Housing and Residence Life Office stated in an email.

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This led to an initial number of 440 students receiving an email in July that they did not have an on-campus housing assignment despite applying by the priority deadline of June 1.

Fizza Ibrahim is one of those students. She applied before June 1 and was notified that she did not have a space.

“I was obviously very livid that they took so long to let me know because there are only weeks until the semester starts,” Ibrahim said in July.

Since the initial email to those priority students, the university developed off-campus housing options including temporarily moving students into nearby hotels or an apartment complex until a spot on campus opens up.

As of Aug. 15, 179 students were identified and assigned to expanded university housing. Of those students, 67 were placed in hotels, 92 were placed at The Edge apartment complex, and 20 were moved to campus. Officials say this number is fluid and expected to change.

Freshman Jayden Drew moved into his residence hall on Wednesday.

“It was a very quick process it was quick feedback for when I was moving in,” Drew said.

He says his coworker was notified in early August that he would have an on-campus assignment after previously being told he wasn’t assigned in July.

“He was literally jumping up and down when he was telling me. He was so excited,” he said.

The university expects these numbers to change as the goal is to move more of these students on campus within the next several weeks.

Ibrahim is moving into her hotel room this weekend and is upset that she did not get moved into the on-campus apartment she applied for.

“I was looking for a four-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment-style suite, so it’s very different than a hotel because I bought all of these pots and pans and stuff to use in my apartment and I didn’t consider that I wouldn’t have a kitchen in my place,” she said.

According to the HRL website, the university is planning to transition the students from the hotel to campus within the first six weeks of the semester. Ibrahim hopes it takes less time.

“I’m hoping it’s a week max,” she said.

The university will manage the students’ housing accommodations and help with moving when students later relocate.

Students are expected to stay at The Edge for the entire fall semester, which will again be managed by UNC Charlotte staff, according to the HRL website.

Housing and Residence Life staff say if on-campus housing becomes available during the fall semester, students would have the option to switch to an on-campus suite or apartment.

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