SC State University to vote on financing dorms amid housing shortage

ORANGEBURG, S.C. (WCSC) - SC State University is set to vote on several resolutions at an upcoming Board of Trustees meeting that would provide millions of dollars to finance new dorms amid an ongoing housing shortage.

The university’s new dorms will consist of a 500-bed residence hall on what is now Mitchell Field, which is projected to be completed by August 2027.

The university is also working on several projects to continue expanding its housing capacity, including a $15 million renovation of Truth Hall, which will add 384 beds, and renovations to the Queens Village complex, which has already added 24 beds.

The resolutions would allow the university to apply to the federal HBCU Capital Financing Program, which provides low-cost capital to finance infrastructure improvements at HBCUs. They plan on taking out loans through the program for the construction of the new residence hall and the Truth Hall project.

The Board of Trustees’ vote would potentially increase the Truth Hall budget from $15 million to $25 million and allow the university to borrow $50 million for the new residence hall.

Ken Davis, associate vice president for facilities management and operations at South Carolina State University, says the additional funds would be a huge help to the housing issue and would ensure there are more beds.

“It’s a good problem to have that we’ve got a lot of young people interested in South Carolina State,” Davis said. ”It’s definitely going to give us some relief on the housing side to get 1,000 beds that’ll come online in the next two years, so it’ll be a big win for the university and for the students that are coming here.”

This comes after years of issues regarding housing on and off campus because of high enrollment and limited bed space.

Stephon Edwards is a SC State alumnus from the Class of 2006 and is now a superintendent for Paragon Builders, a contractor currently working on the Queens Village renovations. He says even when he was a student, housing was always an issue.

“Housing was tight back then,” Edwards said. “It’s good to see that they’re bringing new housing to the university because we definitely need it. We needed it for a while.”

Last year, the university said it had to limit enrollment growth and create a waitlist for housing because a large number of returning students wanted to live in its residence halls.

A few weeks ago, in June, the university offered a $1,000 incentive to eligible upperclassmen who secured off-campus housing. They are still offering the money to juniors and seniors who secure that housing.

With fall classes beginning on Aug. 18, the administration expects to serve about 3,300 students. However, the university can currently accommodate 2,220 students with available beds on campus and in affiliated off-campus facilities.

University officials say they hope their bed capacity will increase through the ongoing incentives and the construction of new dormitories.

The date for the Board of Trustees meeting will be announced in the future.