“You’re just going to have to figure it out” is the message that Noel Obi received from financial aid three weeks before he was due on campus for his junior year at Howard University. “It” referred to where he would live, whether he could continue to afford his education, and if the information he had received from previous members of the administration regarding his scholarship was accurate.

As a rising junior, Obi knew that the university did not guarantee housing for upperclassmen; however, his full-ride scholarship, made possible by a $900,000 donation from AI company Xometry, ensured he would receive not only full tuition but also funding for housing.

As the year approached, Obi received contradictory messages from financial aid about the status of his scholarship. “They told me that in order to get my housing paid for, I would have to apply for on-campus housing. Then I applied, and they denied me,” he said.

Obi’s experience mirrors that of many upperclassmen struggling to find housing at Howard. The university's housing shortage, poor conditions such as rodent infestations, and communication issues are often highlighted at the start of each school year.

This year, the housing application was delayed by more than a month, due to what Anthony Freedman, Howard’s chief real estate officer, described as “delays with the FAFSA application.” While that may have played a role, the Office of Residence Life cited a different reason in a May 8 email: 

“We are experiencing a delay in beginning the housing application process for the Fall 2024 semester, due in part to the new BisonHub system integration, which impacts our ability to begin accepting applications and communicate with students on their housing status.”

As a result, the application did not become available until June 11, leaving many students scrambling to secure housing before the school year started just a month later. Sylvia Nganga was one of those students. The junior political science and criminology double major hoped to luck into housing. When she didn’t, she quickly began seeking solutions and thought she found one.

A friend of Nganga’s who had been granted on-campus housing decided they no longer wanted it. When Nganga called the Office of Residence Life to inquire about taking that room, she spoke with interim housing director Shay McDuffie, who said it would be possible. When Nganga called back to confirm a week later, she was told that information was incorrect. “They basically said that what she (McDuffie) told me wasn’t their policy, and I just feel like, what do I do with that, you know?” Nganga stated.

Nganga saw change only after she and her parents called the housing office relentlessly. Eventually, she was placed in a single that had been converted into a double, where she says, “there isn’t even enough room for all of the furniture they placed in there.”

In a meeting with Dr. Cynthia Evers, the vice president of student affairs, and Freedman, they focused not on the current housing issues experienced by students but on plans for future development and property acquisition.

In response to a question about student concerns regarding overcrowded rooms in Howard Plaza Towers, Freedman detailed the conversion process, saying, “In terms of bed count this year, I know we converted some, but the conversions of 2s to 3s (beds) were in the largest rooms. You still have more space per person.”

Although housing is a yearly issue for students, it is exacerbated by the increasing class size. With the new class of 2028 being hailed as “the largest class in Howard’s history,” it raises the question: Where will they live? As Nganga said, “It seems like Howard is accepting more students than they can house.”

Despite this, Evers and Freedman are optimistic. They detailed several new projects poised to bring additional beds and upgraded facilities to the Howard community, including a project dubbed “Wonder Plaza,” which would provide an estimated 600 new beds. Additionally, Evers highlighted the importance of programming and creating “living-learning communities” to maintain a positive living experience.

While the administration is working hard to develop solutions for future housing, current students are still seeking answers to their housing issues. After numerous calls to the financial aid and housing offices, both Nganga and Obi eventually received on-campus housing. Although she was grateful, Nganga described this as a bittersweet outcome.

“When they decided to do it, it literally happened in five minutes. Someone could’ve helped me this whole time. They just chose not to.”