Sacramento State on-campus housing rates may increase for the first time in five years under a new Student Housing Advisory Committee proposal that will cost approximately $40 million.

Requiring approval from the Board of Trustees, the plan to construct a two-wing 350-bed residence building south of Desmond Hall for freshman and sophomores will increase the cost of living in residential housing by approximately 6 percent.

“Even though we held rates flat for the past five years, we still have done tons of things in terms of renovation,” said Associate Vice President for Campus Life Michael Speros. “In order to continue with the proposal, we have to raise rates.”

The current Sac State Room and Board Payment Plan has room ranging from $9,000 to a little less than $12,000.

Serving as co-chair of the Student Housing Advisory Committee, Vice President of Administration and Chief Financial Officer Mike Lee said their proposal was created after careful assessment of the economic aspects involved.

“We needed to make sure the project is financially visible,” Lee said. “The revenue and income from the students has to be able to support the operation that we are financing overtime. We have been able to do that.”

Despite the cost, Lee said it is necessary in response to a strong student demand for the construction of additional housing.

“These past two semesters, our on-campus housing has been at full capacity,” Lee said. “There is actually a waiting list of people trying to get in.”

Freshman Spanish major Michelle Madrid lives in Desmond Hall and has seen the scarcity of residential space currently available.  

“There is a need for more on-campus housing because I know a lot of people who were waitlisted for a room,” Madrid said. “Everyone who wants to live on campus should have the opportunity to because it is an experience different from anything else that students go through.”

Lee said the proposal is more about the students than the money. One of the committee’s goals is to utilize campus housing as a means to foster cultural learning through community.

“A student who feels they belong to a community is more equipped to overcome obstacles in their path to getting a degree,” Lee said.

Deidra McKay, an undeclared freshman living in Desmond Hall, has already experienced the benefits of residential housing.

“Being on campus has helped me feel more connected to the Sacramento State community,” McKay said. “Living on campus has helped me grow as a person.”

Josh Krebs, a senior criminal justice major, has lived in residential housing ever since his first day on campus and is excited about the proposal because opportunities for students to be on campus will enhance the college experience for all students.

“To have a beneficial college experience, you should live on campus and learn how to be independent and meet people,” Krebs said. “It is about getting out of your comfort zone. The more students living on campus, the more Sac State will grow as a whole.”

According to the Office of Institutional Research, students who live on campus tend to have better graduation and retention rates.

At Sac State, a current assessment plan by the Planning, Enrollment Management and Student Affairs Division, over an eight-year period between 2000 and 2007,  there is a 45 percent graduation rate within six years for students who live on campus their first year. The graduation rate is 38 percent for those who did not.

With data showing student experiences and demand indicating the housing expansion is essential to future educational success, the committee is focused on designing the new housing based on the needs of the residents.

Estimated to open on the first day of fall 2017, the housing unit will be elevated above ground level to offer a unique view of the American River.

“It has been the university’s desire to provide better access to the river for students and this is the first project that is really planned to take advantage of that.” Lee said. “Imagine sitting right in the middle of the new hall plaza, drinking your coffee as you stare out at the river.”

The proposed unit will be built over several existing parking spots, but the committee hopes to regain those spaces by constructing a parking garage underneath the foundation of the building.

The Housing Proposal Review Committee and then ultimately the Board of Trustees, will have to approve the proposal before any construction can begin.

Approved or not, this is the first of many new projects Sac State will be pursuing to enhance the education and living experience for all students, Lee said.

 “In a longer term perspective, we are hoping to bring even more housing,” Lee said. “We want to provide more choices and eventually better food service.”