U of C still dealing with waitlist for campus residences as students move in

It's the busiest day of the year at the University of Calgary's accommodations. 

More than 3,000 students, including 1,200 first year students, will be moving into residence at the post-secondary institution. 

That number is a record for the U of C, university officials say. 

"The demand we've seen is because of what we're seeing in the market with housing shortages in Calgary — across Canada really — and the price of rent has definitely gone up in the city over the last while," said Shane Royal, the senior director of auxiliary services at the U of C. 

"And plus, with COVID being less of an issue nowadays, there's more people that are kind of excited to be back in person and back on campus. So we're seeing record numbers with individuals that apply to residence."

Royal said the demand for housing this year far exceeds the university's availability, though the university has managed to whittle the number of students on its waitlist from around 500 to 102. 

"Historically, we don't have waitlists of that magnitude," said Royal. "We've had to deal with it and do some different activities to help manage and monitor that waitlist."  

He said university accommodations are typically between 85 to 95 per cent full, but added that waitlist numbers are expected to decrease even further over the next few weeks. 

There are 600 students already living on residence, and around 1,200 will be moving in Sunday. The remainder of the students will be on residence over the coming week. 

First time movers

Rachel Taylor is one of the 1,200 first year students who'll be living on residence this year. It's her first time living away from her parents and her hometown.

"I've lived in the same neighborhood my whole life, so it's a bit of a move," said Taylor, who moved from Vancouver to Calgary. 

For her, living in residence was a no-brainier for a number of reasons, including living expenses, rental housing costs, and a more social experience throughout university.

But with the increased demand for accommodation at the school, she said she had to have everything organized before May 1 in order to get a doom room. 

"I'm excited, a little nervous. It's a big move, but I think it's gonna be good."