Southern Utah University saw the largest increase in enrollment than any other institution a part of the Utah System of Higher Education. Photo April 7, 2021 (Jeffrey D. Allred, Deseret News)
CEDAR CITY, Utah — A housing crunch is affecting students at Southern Utah University, SUU officials are asking students to look for relatives to live with when they come back to school on Sept 8.
An email sent last week to students suggested those who are on waiting lists keep looking because they will not be guaranteed a spot by the time students return in-person to campus in the fall. As of Thursday, there were only seven listings for housing currently available on the SUU website. Also on the website is a disclaimer that said on-campus university housing is not currently accepting additional applications for fall 2021.
There are several reasons for the school’s housing shortage. The school said one of them is a current statewide shortage, and, according to Cedar City Housing Authority spokesman Heidi Miller, it could also be the influx of people relocating to Iron County. SUU also is bracing for an influx of students returning to campus.
The University of Utah has also been struggling to find housing for students due to high costs and high demand. The U. also sent notices to students that the school would not be able to guarantee housing for students on a waiting list.
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