SCAD community experiencing ‘housing crisis’

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – Some students at Savannah College of Art and Design say they have had an especially​ difficult time with finding a place to live, some calling it a housing crisis.

Students have even created a social media campaign, asking the university to address their concerns.

SCAD says they are doing everything they can right now.

“I would rather give up my life than for her to not be able to pursue her dream,” Brandy Patton, a SCAD parent said.

Patton is a single mom, and she says her daughter has been placed on the waiting list for on-campus housing.

She says not knowing whether her child will be assigned housing at all has left her in an uncertain financial situation.

“My concern is – single mom – can’t even afford SCAD itself. I definitely cannot afford an apartment that is $2,000 a month because she needs to be close to the school. She does not have a car down in Savannah,” Patton said.

According to the university’s website, it costs upwards of $50,000, close to $60,000 in some cases, for tuition, on-campus housing,and a meal plan at SCAD for full-time students.

To help with costs, many students are on scholarships, but they say they lose 30 percent if they choose to live off campus.

“I have no other option…It’s like this cycle that traps people from moving off that just can’t,” Tess Murrah, a SCAD student said.

However, some believe they may not have another choice, with housing waitlists that are hundreds of people long and what they say is little to no communication from the university.

“Originally, they knew their spot on the waitlist. I think roughly, it is 400 for some of them. I think the lowest of the waitlists I have seen are the ones in Atlanta, and those are at like 50. So, originally, you could know your spot on the waitlist, but now they removed that, so you do not know your spot on the waitlist,” Rowan Solari, also a SCAD student, said.

“I’m thinking, if we do have to find a place, we have to find it soon because I don’t want to wait until August, and then you have 1,000 people going, ‘Oh, we need an apartment,'” Patton offered.

Of those off-campus options, many are uncertain they can find something within their price range.

“We’re looking for options, but, of course, it’s hard to find something affordable, especially here in the nice parts of Savannah,” Solari said.

Some are even considering more drastic options.

“I have considered moving because I am a single mom. I have one more. That way, I would not have to worry about having a mortgage here and then rent down there,” Patton said.

Those I spoke with all shared one sentiment, pointing to an increasing number of admitted freshmen as a possible cause of the housing shortage.

Murrah summed it up: “They’re accepting way too many students, and it’s frustrating because they’re not taking care of the students that actually live at the school.”

In a statement provided to News 3, the university said, “SCAD leadership is working around-the-clock to address the individual needs and concerns of the students and parents.”

They went on to say, “The university’s goal is to provide housing for all the students on the waitlist.'”

SCAD also says students who choose to opt out of the housing waitlist will receive a full refund for their $750 housing deposit.

Students who stay on the waitlist for housing could very well move up and be offered housing by the time the new quarter starts, but until then, they will either be left to wait it out or find other options.