New College of Florida to renew hotel contracts, build portables amid housing shortage
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New College of Florida is moving to renew its contracts with local hotels and build temporary portable housing units as it continues to face a housing crisis on campus from the closure of dorms and an influx of student-athletes driving record enrollment.
In a unanimous vote of the Finance and Administration Standing Committee on Wednesday, New College authorized President Richard Corcoran to negotiate a new contract with Home2Suites, a hotel less than a mile north of campus, to renew its use of more than 100 rooms to house students for the Fall 2024 and Spring 2025 semesters. The committee also approved funding three portable modular housing units that would house 132 single beds near the Dort and Goldstein dorm buildings.
The contract with Home2Suites is expected to total about $3.88 million, while the three portable housing units would cost New College $3 million, according to the board agenda.
The need for additional beds for students comes as the college finds itself in an "oversubscribed" situation, according to the board agenda. New College faces a housing crisis on campus as it shut down Pei Dorm buildings due to mold concerns, and has seen record enrollment because of its launch of an athletics department.
"Last year, we had 250 beds in the hotels. Now we're down to 150, which is a significant savings," he said. "That savings allows us to pay for the portables."
During the meeting, Corcoran said the University of South Florida's Sarasota-Manatee campus gave New College 100 beds in their new dorm building, slated to open for the Fall semester. Putting students in hotels would be a last resort if the college couldn't fit them into the portable housing units, the USF dorms or an on-campus dorm, Corcoran said.
Students can still find off-campus housing if they can afford it, but the median rent price in Sarasota County remains about 20% higher than the national average, according to Apartments.com.
The New College Board of Trustees convene for its next meeting on Thursday.
Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: New College of Florida renews hotel contracts amid campus housing crisis
