Incoming spring admits face UM housing crisis

Construction of Centennial Village, a new housing option slated to open in the coming years, is pictured above on Jan. 15.

In early 2022, The Miami Hurricane reported on the housing crisis facing many rising sophomores and upperclassmen. Students were left without housing and many also lost $500 deposits that were submitted with the idea that on-campus housing would be available in the upcoming semester, after opting to live off-campus. Students admitted for the spring semester of 2022 were not offered on-campus housing.

A number of students were temporarily housed at the THesis Hotel Miami and the Miami Marriott in Dadeland. As the spring 2023 semester approaches, incoming spring-admit students and second semester freshmen had to puzzle through their housing options.

The department recommends that students apply for housing after completing the enrollment deposit. Once students have access to the portal on CaneLink, those beginning in the fall can apply until May 15. After May 15, applications are accepted on a space-available basis.

The spring only housing application is available for spring admits interested in living on-campus. Students can apply from November to Dec. 1.

Eaton Residential College pictured above on Jan 15.
Eaton Residential College pictured above on Jan 15. Photo credit: Stefania Papadopulos

According to the University of Miami’s Department of Housing and Residential Life, first-year and transfer students were able to apply for housing through the Dec. 1 deadline, which was communicated in advance. The website and application stated that the department anticipated housing being at or near full capacity and would do their best to accommodate as many applicants as possible.

The first-year spring admits that applied before the Dec. 1 deadline, and those non-local, including students from Broward County, were provided with on campus housing. The department was unable to house transfer students who were spring admits. These students were directed to offcampus.miami.edu for resources and guidance for the next steps in finding housing for the semester.

The incoming spring class experienced a myriad of processes and outcomes. Incoming students beginning in the 2023 Spring semester are either being housed off-campus in apartment buildings like the Standard and Red Road Commons, in on-campus residential colleges, or temporarily in THesis Hotel Miami.

First year students must look for alternative housing options including Red Road Commons, pictured above on Sunday Jan. 15.

For Kasey Moriarty, a first-year from Florida studying biomedical engineering, the application process was easy. Moriarty secured housing at the Eaton Residential College for the Spring semester.

From the Miami Dade and Broward county areas, many commuter students went into the UM admissions process knowing they would be living at home.

Others however, chose to skip the on-campus housing application altogether and find guaranteed living space off-campus.

“I decided not to apply for on campus housing, as much as I was looking forward to more of an on campus dorm experience, because of the slim chance I would have of receiving it.” Angelina Carapezzo, a first year student studying creative advertising and public relations, from Massachusetts said. “Since I am coming in from so far away I wanted to have a guaranteed housing situation that was planned out in advance.”

During the spring semester Carapezzo will be staying at Red Road Commons, an apartment complex about a mile away from campus. Disappointed by the lack of options, Carapezzo weighed her options and decided having guaranteed housing in advance was more economically sound than scrambling for a back-up arrangement after a long on-campus application process that she believed would turn her down. After making the decision to live off-campus, Carapezzo faced the frustrating process of apartment hunting from 1,485 miles away, as cost of living continues to rise in Miami.

Carapezzo is a part of a Facebook group of spring-admits where many students and families shared their housing situation. In the group, many students who decided to attend sorority and fraternity recruitment the week before classes begin were able to secure on-campus housing. However, many students shared that they were being temporarily housed in the THesis Hotel.