Saint Louis University students worrying about rumors of a housing crunch that will affect Marchetti Towers apartments next year are about to have their fears confirmed.
Next year, one-bedroom apartments that were previously singles will house two students and two-bedroom apartments that were doubles will house three students. However, this will not apply to students already living in Marchetti who plan to stay in their apartment next year.
This change is another possible solution to the steadily increasing number of students searching for on-campus housing, but it is not a permanent solution.
Director of Residence Life Leonard Jones has been contemplating this problem since last September. To broaden SLU’s options, Jones contacted several universities nationwide asking how they deal with housing shortages.
After narrowing down the options, Jones asked for student input from such organizations as the Residence Hall Association and the Marchetti Apartment Council. The option to increase the number of residents in Marchetti was favored more than other possibilities.
Michael Fullenkamp, MAC President and Residence Hall Senator to the Student Government Association, said, “While it is the best option at this point, it is not a good solution.”
Fullenkamp pointed out that Marchetti apartments are already exceeding the desired capacity.
Jones agreed that while doubling and tripling in Marchetti is not an ideal solution, SLU is trying “to provide the best accommodations that we can.” He does not want to have to turn away students desiring on-campus housing.
