FAMU’s student housing waitlist is empty, unlike last year. Here’s how they did it.

After the student housing crisis that Florida A&M University experienced last summer ahead of the 2022-23 school year, things have been handled a lot differently this time around.

There is no backlog this year, unlike the 506 students who were on the university’s waitlist last year when news of an unexpected housing shortage burst into the headlines. The incoming freshmen were told all available beds on campus were already taken and they would have to find off-campus housing on their own.

That sparked a backlash of calls from parents to the university and scathing posts on social media critical of the disruption in plans. It also sparked a blitz of land and property acquisitions by the univeristy that will further expand FAMU's footprint and student housing options.

FAMU Vice President of Student Affairs William E. Hudson Jr. says the improvement is mainly due to communicating more effectively with students and parents.

“Our wait list is empty,” Hudson told the Tallahassee Democrat Tuesday. “We stopped putting students on the waitlist in May because we were already approximately full, and that’s one of the changes we made — we communicated early and did not put students on the waitlist after a certain time.”

‘Communication is key’

Around this time last year, the hundreds of FAMU students who had no choice but to find a place to live off-campus contended with Tallahassee’s hot real estate and rental market.

President Larry Robinson offered the scrambling students a financial plan that included assistance for off-campus housing rent and an on-campus meal plan.

Those measures no longer apply after administrators engaged in “overcommunicating” – providing students with timelines early on during the application process and more outreach — which included sending updates through FAMU student emails on deadlines and how to effectively secure housing.

FAMU is expecting to have between 1,500 and 1,600 first-time-in-college students start in the fall with 1,433 of them living on campus while 780 transfer students have been admitted this year, with 138 of them staying on campus.

Hudson says FAMU’s housing is at 95.48% occupancy, with the remaining space being reserved for resident assistants. This leaves any late-coming underclassmen who might be interested in staying on campus responsible for finding off-campus housing instead.

The university currently has 2,679 beds on campus compared to the 2,450 on-campus beds that were available in fall 2022.

More on FAMU housing shortage: With hundreds on the waitlist, FAMU responds to freshman housing crunch with financial aid

Housing crunch: Students, parents on a 'stressful' hunt for off-campus housing: Here are some solutions

FAMU's future housing plans: FAMU housing surge: A look at the financing, timeline and why it's a 'desperate need'

Additionally, the university’s communications office, housing and enrollment management team met biweekly to review data on how many students have signed up for housing and submitted their deposits to indicate how many students are really coming onto campus.

“Our housing team has implemented new procedures that provided much earlier notification for returning students while ensuring that we prioritize housing for first-time-in-college Rattlers,” Robinson said.

Summer changes, renovations ahead of the fall

This year’s empty student housing waitlist at FAMU also comes after the university acquired new complexes, including Citivue at Railroad Square and Lighthouse at Brooklyn Yard — now known as Rattler Pointe East and Rattler Pointe West.

The apartment-style complexes — which are near FAMU’s campus and add 234 beds to the university’s on-campus housing — will be occupied by upperclassmen while the residence halls on the main campus will be occupied by underclassmen.

Related news: Florida A&M University unveils naming of recently acquired apartment complexes

It's official: FAMU closes on $13 million purchase of apartments, adding 116 beds for housing

‘One important piece of the puzzle’: FAMU acquires apartments to add 118 beds for students

Although some non-FAMU residents are currently living in the acquired complexes near campus, their leases end July 31, and they will be moving out ahead of FAMU’s move-in process.

FAMU residents who are already living in the complexes have the option of renewing their lease for the upcoming academic school year, according to Hudson.

In addition, changes are taking place in a couple of the residence halls on FAMU’s main campus, as well.

“Our facilities team and housing team have worked throughout the summer to renovate some of the older residence halls and equip them with new furniture and appliances to provide an improved living experience for FAMU students,” Robinson said.

He referred to Palmetto South and Palmetto Phase 3 that are being renovated, which will also include renovated windows, cabinets and HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems.

The two residence halls have been closed since the end of the spring semester due to the renovations and will reopen in August ahead of move-in.

Here are the fall move-in dates:

• Monday, August 21 - FAMU Towers

• Wednesday, August 23 - Polkinghorne Village, Sampson Hall & Young Hall

• Friday, August 25 - Palmetto South, Palmetto Phase 3, Rattler Pointe

• Saturday, August 26 - Everyone who has not checked in

Contact Tarah Jean at [email protected] or follow her on twitter @tarahjean_.

Never miss a story: Subscribe to the Tallahassee Democrat using the link at the top of the page.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: FAMU’s student housing waitlist is empty ahead of 2023-24 school year