WSU still searching for space for students

Lass than a week from the first day of classes at Washington State University, 155 sophomores, juniors and seniors on WSU's housing waitlist are still waiting for on-campus accommodations.

Despite making room for 82 students, Phil Weiler, WSU Vice President of Marketing and Communications, said just 10 of those 82 students have opted to move into on-campus housing.

Weiler said the other 72 students who were offered housing accommodations have already found somewhere to reside off-campus.

He said the university will continue to offer housing accommodations to the students on the waitlist until all of the spaces are filled and "it is certain that everyone is situated."

Housing accommodations have been strained this year because of 4,300 incoming freshmen - the largest freshman class in WSU history.

Because of WSU's live-in requirement, which forces freshmen to reside on-campus their first year at college, residence halls are reserved for incoming freshmen, then, if there is room, upperclassmen.

Weiler said it is likely many of the students who registered for the waitlist during the spring semester found alternative housing long ago but did not take their name off of the list.

He said the university will have a better idea of how many students are in need of rooms Wednesday - WSU's official move-in day - and the housing department will continue to offer housing to the remaining upperclassmen who are on the waitlist, noting about 50 percent of university students will make the move to Pullman on Wednesday.

In order to house all of the freshmen the university has reopened Waller Hall - a dormitory that was closed in 2015 - to accommodate incoming freshman men.

To accommodate freshman women, the university has converted single-student rooms in Orton Hall to house two students and other rooms in certain residence halls have been upped from housing two students to three.

About 135 freshmen, primarily women, are expected to be placed in three-student rooms.

Students who volunteered to be placed in a three-student room and will receive a 25 percent discount on their housing fees.

Other students will reside in the same room as residence advisers, who in past years have had their own rooms.

For upperclassmen still searching for last minute off-campus housing options, there are few rental agencies in Pullman that have availability.

Duane Brelsford, president and managing member of Corporate Pointe Developers, said it is currently filled to 95 percent capacity, about average for the start of the semester.

Brelsford said there are still several one-bedroom units available, but he expects those to be filled within the next couple of days. Corporate Pointe Developers, which owns DABCO Property Management, also has several two- and three-bedroom units available, he said.

The Ruckus apartments, formerly known as Campus Commons, reported it has four-bedroom units available.

Summit Realty Property Management has no availability at this time.

Katie Short can be reached at (208) 883-4633, or by email to kshort@dnews.com.