Full House: USU housing full but takes some extras

After The Factory delayed opening this fall, hundreds of would-be residents looked all over the valley for available housing.

However, many complexes were already full and have been since May.

Utah State University housing had filled every room and had about 100 students on the waitlist when The Factory announced the delay. It was able to accommodate about 125 more students by outfitting study rooms for bedrooms and asking resident assistants and occupants of single rooms to take on a roommate.

“That was all the students who came to us to get on our waiting list,” said Tim Vitale, the executive director for public relations and marketing at USU. “We accommodated them all, or we at least offered an accommodation. Some of them found other options.”

According to Kassidi Nudd, a junior in sociology and criminal justice and one of nearly 300 to sign a contract with The Factory, there weren’t many options left.

“I called over 70 places and searched for 12 hours straight,” Nudd said. “Everywhere I went there were tons of other victims of The Factory and the other complexes apologized for The Factory.”

Old Farm Apartments began taking applications for the 2015-16 school year in February and was full by May.

The manager of Old Farm, Keenan Ryan, believes it has to do with the age change for LDS missionaries in 2012.

“My wife and I have managed here for 10 years,” Ryan said. “We’ve seen ups and downs so we kind of figured that, for one … this was the first summer that big wave of missionaries were coming home.”

Old Farm Apartments was able to let about 15 new residents in, due to cancellations, but had to turn the rest away.

Oakridge Student Housing was in a similar situation, having to decline any new residents after abandoned contracts had been filled.

“Unfortunately because of Utah State’s increased enrollment and other factors, we sold abnormally fast this year,” said Hanah Gillman, manager at Oakridge. “We reached our max leasing in April … We wish we could have done more.”

Ryan said this situation is pretty typical this year.

“Any complex you call around here is gonna tell you the same thing,” Ryan said.

Vitale suggested that students look outside of Logan to find available housing.

“This is in Logan, but think about out-of-state students,” he said. “They may be looking in Logan for an apartment and where they don’t recognize that River Heights is a mile away and Hyde Park is only three miles down the road and Smithfield is only five miles down the road. They may not be looking as broadly as they might for something that’s reasonable.”

Nudd found housing in Providence that she can move into in mid-September.

“We have to furnish this apartment, set up utilities, drive to school, pay for parking passes and are missing out of the social aspect of everything,” she said.

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