Atlanta HBCUs facing crisis due to lack of affordable housing.

Students attending the renowned HBCUs within the Atlanta University Center have a problem outside of their typical academic concerns: where they will sleep. The city's affordable housing shortage is threatening their ability to live near campus, and the universities are in a rush to find solutions.
Rent prices have been rapidly increasing across the country, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has reported that schools such as Morehouse lack sufficient housing for their student body. Although the all-male institution has over 2,000 students, they can only house 1,400. To make matters worse, the cost of on-campus living has risen significantly. On Spelman College's website, the fees for housing are over $16,000 and their brother institution has fees just slightly lower at around $14,000.

Student protests occurred last fall in response to the housing shortage and the associated costs, but the results were not enough to make long-term improvements. Furthermore, HBCUs are expecting a surge in applicants in the coming years, potentially doubling the number of interested students.

Currently, there are plans in development to house a large portion of Morehouse's student body, though these facilities are still in their early stages. Dean Kevin Booker estimates completion in a few years. Davida Morgan Washington, a Morehouse parent and President of the college's Parent Council, is advocating for the school to collaborate with the city to create viable housing options for all students. “We need to take some of this space and build dorms high up,” she explained. “That needs to be a fundraising priority so that we can house all these students that we don’t wanna turn away.”

The housing problem facing the students of the HBCUs in the Atlanta University Center is severe, and the universities and their supporters are fighting to make sure that students will not have to pay an arm and a leg just to get an education.

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