SAN DIEGO — UC San Diego had 42,000 students last Fall. They’re likely to set a new record this Fall. Thousands of students won’t have a place to live on campus.
UC San Diego officials reported more than 2,300 students are on waiting lists for on-campus housing this school year beginning September 25th.
Paul Halka is one of them. He says he’s been driving from Temecula to campus and would rather live there.
"I'm a little annoyed. I wish they could give me a solid answer. Like to know 'yes' or 'no' if I got in, so I can look at other options, especially with 2,000 on the waitlist," said Halka.
The waitlist is forcing many students to find off-campus housing. UC San Diego student Sydney Taylor lives off-campus with roommates and pays $5,000 monthly.
"I think it's pretty terrible that they promised a lot of students housing and couldn’t provide it. It's tough for those just coming to college and already super stressed out trying to find a place to live," said Taylor.
"Maybe the university can provide some compensation for people who couldn’t get into housing and are still waiting for an answer," said Halka.
UC San Diego planned to open a Theater District Living and Leaning neighborhood, a student village with 2,000 beds, but school officials say the multi-million dollar project fell behind schedule.
"It's obviously unfortunate but not that unexpected. It was expected that they wouldn’t meet their deadline," said UCSD student Haroutyn Joulafyn.
UC San Diego told CBS 8:
"UC San Diego is motivated by its academic and research mission, with a specific focus on meeting the needs of our students. The 2015 state mandate to increase the University of California enrollment resulted in UC San Diego having the largest undergraduate growth in the UC system, with our undergraduate student population increasing over the six years that followed. UC San Diego initiated a plan to provide additional infrastructure and facilities, with student housing being a key component.
Although UC San Diego ranks third in the nation for its student housing inventory, there is still high demand for on-campus housing. Providing access to below-market-rate housing for UC San Diego students will continue to be a priority for the university, and three new projects underway will provide housing for more than 5,700 students by 2025.
The university understands the challenge of finding affordable housing near campus. What follows are resources available.
Through the Off-Campus Housing Office, students can search for housing and roommates with the help of a dedicated off-campus housing team."
The University negotiated discounted rates with Residence Inn San Diego, a hotel in La Jolla. The rates only apply if students stay at least 90 days.
"It doesn’t seem ideal. It seems expensive, even at a discounted rate. I think the university could have done a better job with it. It seems like the housing was not so rushed, and they were hopeful, but it didn’t pan out. They should have planned it out better. It would have been smarter," said Joulafyn.
University officials also say Framework Apartments on the UC San Diego Blue Line, starting at $2,300, will be available for undergraduate students moving to campus in the Fall.
They say three new projects will provide housing for more than 5,700 students by 2025.
WATCH RELATED: New student housing project underway at UC San Diego