Posted on: Tuesday, August 10, 2004

Tripling-up gains UH 59 dorm beds

By Beverly Creamer
Advertiser Education Writer

In a last-ditch attempt to find as many student beds as possible, the University of Hawai'i-Manoa has resorted to putting three students to a room where allowed by fire codes, and doubling-up its resident adviser rooms where possible.

That will gain only 59 beds.

Another payment deadline tomorrow may open up 40 to 50 rooms, judging from past years.

But with less than two weeks before the start of the fall semester Aug. 23, as many as 1,000 students are going to be left to their own devices in a tight and expensive rental housing market.

Students assigned to the extra beds already have been told they're in three-person rather than two-person rooms, said Jim Manke, spokesman for the Manoa campus. Their housing costs will be adjusted accordingly.

Although more triples had been contemplated, no others are allowed under fire regulations, he said.

As of yesterday, Manke said Manoa had accommodated "all 'on time' freshmen, all 'on time' Neighbor Island students, most 'on time' Mainland and foreign students, and most 'on time' rural O'ahu students."

Five hundred letters went out July 27 to notify those who did not apply on time that they would not get on-campus housing, and referring them to other options, Manke said.

Another 400 to 500 letters were mailed July 29 to those who applied on time but did not get assignments, letting them know "they were unlikely" to receive housing and should make other plans, he said.

Theresa Wee, member of a newly formed organization of concerned parents, said she had to call the housing office to learn that her son Christopher, a sophomore, had been assigned a dorm late last week, while other parents she knows hadn't received any word as of Wednesday. Wee said she was relieved but concerned about other students.

"We're still progressing with this parent association to get more parents involved, so we can be a support and also help each other out," Wee said.

Manke said officials were also working on a way to give preferential parking to students who were not able to get dorm rooms. They are looking into options for adding parking off campus and providing shuttle bus service, as all on-campus parking permits have been assigned.

In looking at the magnitude of the problem this year, UH officials note that the housing shortage has been evolving steadily since 2000, paralleling a 19 percent increase in enrollment from 2000 to 2004. Enrollment was 17,263 in 2000, said Manke, versus an estimated 20,500 students this fall. Final enrollment numbers won't be available for about a month.

According to statistics provided by Manoa officials, four years ago the campus met 78 percent of the demand for housing. This year they anticipate meeting 70 percent of demand.

Reach Beverly Creamer at bcreamer@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8013.