In the fall of 2024, the University of Maine experienced an unprecedented 13% increase in enrollment, according to an article by Quinn D’Alessio. This comes after the closure of Estabrooke Hall, which was formerly a dormitory that held 96 beds before being converted into office spaces. Moreover, it appears that enrollment will continue to grow, as it rose by another 2.1% this semester alone.
According to a Presidential Town Hall meeting that took place on March 24, UMaine is currently able to offer 3,500 beds to students living on campus. At the meeting, Vice President for Finance and Administration and Chief Business Officer Kelly Sparks explained that the housing shortage resulted in students being placed in “space off‑site, triples, lounges, creative solutions to accommodate students.”
During this time of unexpectedly high enrollment, students may be left wondering how the UMaine Administration will help alleviate the housing shortage. Auxiliary Enterprises Executive Director Richard Young addressed some of the changes being made in preparation for the next semester.
“Housing Services at UMaine makes a commitment that all first-year students who apply for housing have an opportunity for a space in our halls. Most first–year students will live in a double-occupancy room in our halls,” said Young. “We added 62 beds back into our halls by reconfiguring rooms from double singles to doubles.”
It is unclear whether new dormitories will be built in lieu of Estabrooke’s closure.UMaine is undergoing a review of on-campus housing to determine next steps, and no decisions have yet been made thus far.
According to Young, there is a Campus Housing Committee that is currently waiting for the report made by a third-party consultant who assesses various buildings. The data collected during includes on-campus housing inventory, future demand and assessment of the current resident halls, synthesized to make future housing recommendations.
“Housing continues to look for ways to improve our halls for students to enhance the living environment creating a home away from home at UMaine,” said Young.
Once the recommendations are submitted, the committee will assess potential construction options in a report to Senior Leadership. Current residence halls may undergo physical improvements such as fresh coats of paint, restroom upgrades, carpet replacement, new furniture and lobby alterations. He added that the university is expanding its off-campus housing options to help combat overflow housing.
“UMaine Housing has leased 10 apartments at Orchard Trails, each with four beds for a total of 40 available beds. The student rents these apartments with UMaine Housing using the same process as DTAV and Patch apartments. These apartments are available for upperclass students,” Young added.
UMaine is also negotiating with Hotel Ursa to reserve several of their rooms for students aged 21 and over. The administration notably had success with this route in previous semesters.
“Our goal is to provide all students with an exceptional experience when they arrive and the most important part is to ensure they have a safe and secure place to reside, engage and develop a sense of belonging,” said Young.
