How the Waitlist Contributed to the Increase in Off-Campus Housing Demand at William & Mary

William & Mary is an esteemed college located in Williamsburg, Virginia. In recent years, the demand for off-campus housing has skyrocketed due to the waitlist that students must go through in order to find a place on campus. This blog post will explore how this waitlist has contributed to the increased demand for off-campus housing and what solutions are available for students who cannot find on-campus housing. We will also discuss how this increase in demand has affected the local economy and what steps can be taken to ensure that everyone is able to find suitable housing.

“It’s been really stressful, honestly,” Ahammad said. “I am a first-generation, low-income student. And when I heard the news that I’m on the waitlist, no guarantee for housing next year, it got my parents pretty upset. It’s a lot of undue stress on us, like, how will I find off-campus housing? What resources are there? And I did email ResLife and went in person a few times to see if there was anything I could do. But the response I got wasn’t the best. It just felt like that they didn’t really have a lot of empathy for my situation.

“IT’S A LOT OF UNDUE STRESS ON US, LIKE, HOW WILL I FIND OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING? WHAT RESOURCES ARE THERE?” AHAMMAD SAID.

In an email to The Flat Hat, Kandell said that students currently on the waitlist still have the potential to receive the opportunity for on-campus housing. This past year, ResLife was able to house all waitlisted students by Aug. 1, 2022.

“Being waitlisted does not necessarily mean you won’t be able to live on campus for the 2023-24 academic year,” Kandell wrote. “Students continue to withdraw from housing for a variety of reasons such as study abroad opportunities and other changes to circumstances. We will continue to work with students through this challenging time, and we are committed to doing all we can to house as many of our students next year as possible.”

I don't have the money to acquire a car, so I wanted to stay close to university, said Ahammad. "I wanted to stay with my housemate as well since I believe she understands my religious beliefs. I don't know how things would go if I left campus because I'm Muslim.

With the aid of a buddy in FGLI, Ahammad recently managed to get off-campus housing for the 2023–24 academic year. However, she became aware of a number of problems with the city's rental market while renting a place close to the college, including the problem of convoluted lease arrangements.

"There are some things you don't have to worry about when it comes to having on-campus housing," Ahammad remarked. Finding a place of my own to rent is my first rental experience.

My financial aid officer has been really supportive during our chats and has said things like, "Okay, this is how much you're going to have per month. We're going to sit with you and budget." And in my opinion, there needs to be a lot of communication regarding that potential for kids, particularly for FGLI students," Fox added.

She pointed out that it would be beneficial for FGLI students to have access to a reliable financial advisor resource when looking for off-campus accommodation.

When it comes to financial and risk preparation for living off campus, Fox noted that a lot of first-generation, low-income students lack these skills. "Having someone say, 'You know what, I see this rental contract,' is comfortable. I don't think you should spend your money in this way, or I see this rental agreement and it worries me. Therefore, having someone who is committed to that would be wonderful and it would undoubtedly ease the anxiety of many FGLI students who have never done this before.