A 173 resident drop in University Housing from the fall semester to the spring has resulted in financial problems and has prompted the department to consolidate its residents or make them pay for single rooms.

University Housing sent a letter at the beginning of this week informing students without roommates that they can pay for their single room or move to a room with another person who will not pay for a single room.

Consolidation has been done in previous years, but was not done last year because of the low number of students that left housing.

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Students may be forced out of their single rooms if they do not decide within five days.

Steve Kirk, assistant director of Housing-Residence Life, said this move is to help run University Housing more efficiently.

At this point we have people on a waiting list for a single room, Kirk said.

At the beginning of Fall 1997, 4,127 residents lived in University Housing. As of Spring 1998, 3,954 residents lived in University Housing.

At the start of the semester, 207 vacancies were recorded. There were 271 vacancies as of Feb. 16.

Housing officials said many reasons factored into the drop of residents ranging from graduation to suspension.

A flyer posted in residence halls and housing area offices said, the more efficiently University Housing manages the residence halls, the lower the rates you pay and the more services that can be offered.

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Kirk said the saved money will help keep the buildings in good condition and help fund any renovations that are needed.

According to the Residence Hall Guide Book, University Housing has the right to move students to accommodate others requesting single rooms, he said. They will only move people when someone does not respond to the letter.

Each area office keeps a sign-up list for students to sign-up for single rooms.

Kirk said all paper work should be completed before spring break and moving should begin as late as one week after the break.

Marissa Benson, a sophomore in hotel and restaurant management from Bartlett, said her roommate moved out of housing at the beginning of the semester. She said that she in not certain what she will do. Housing has informed her that she has until Tuesday to decide.

I don’t want to move. I’ve lived in the same room for two years now, Benson said. It will either cost me $300 to keep my same room or move in with someone that I don’t know.

I’m just not sure what I want to do.

John Schroeder, a junior in architecture from Secore, said his roommate moved out at the beginning of the semester. He now has a single room in Mae Smith and said he plans on paying to keep his single room but has not told University Housing yet.

I plan on buying out my room and keeping it as a single, Schroeder said. But this is the first time that I heard that I need to respond within five days.

I don’t think that would be fair. I’m just glad that I’m going to pay for my single room.