University of Virginia Library

Housing Nears
Critical Shortage

By David Giltinan
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

According to D. Alan Williams,
Vice-President of the University in charge
of Student Affairs, the University "faces
a housing crunch by 1973 if the housing
situation in Charlottesville remains as it
is."

Vice-President Williams serves as
chairman of the President's Advisory
Committee on Housing. At the
Committee's December 3rd meeting he
presented enrollment figures for the
first-year class:

       

1969	1500 students
1972	2025
1976	2625
1980	3135

From these figures, Mr. Williams
concluded that by 1974 all of the
McCormick Road and Alderman Road
dormitories will be occupied by first-year
students and by 1980 first-year housing
would require all dorm space with the
exception of McKim Hall, including the
Lawn and both Ranges.

The University requires all first-year
students to live in dormitories. There are
now 3158 student beds, excluding
McKim Hall, and almost all are occupied. As
the first-year classes increase in size,
upperclassmen and graduate students must be
squeezed out of University Housing to make
room for them. Theoretically, the squeezing
process would not be complete until 1980, but
the pressure would begin to be felt much
sooner, certainly by 1972.

Because the University has abandoned its
requirement that transfer students and
upperclass women live in dormitories and
because a small increase in housing capacity is
expected next year, the University has one
more year wherein it will be able to fill the
housing needs of its students.

Beginning in 1972 there will be a steadily
increasing number of upper-class and graduate |