Fresno State\u2019s first housing project since 1968 unveiled a 83,000 square-foot apartment-style building, which focused on bringing an affordable housing option to students. The building has 228 student beds and six family housing units.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The affordability for students stems from the apartment-style construction of the new dorms. Due to all the rooms having a built-in kitchen, undergraduate residents will not be required to sign up for a meal plan<\/a>, cutting down costs.<\/p>\n However, the savings for students aren\u2019t cut and dry<\/a>. The cheapest room type in the new building is the apartment double, costing students $10,634 for the academic year.\u00a0<\/p>\n Looking at the room options in the traditional dorms: a community triple with either a gold or silver meal plan, as well as a community double, a two-bedroom suite triple and a single-bedroom suite triple with the silver meal plan, would all be cheaper.\u00a0<\/p>\n The three-bedroom suite double with the silver meal plan would cost just three dollars more than the apartment double for the whole academic year.\u00a0<\/p>\n The new building would largely be more affordable for new Fresno State students, as only returning students residents can sign up for the silver meal plan valued at $3,311. Priority registration for the apartment-style housing is given to juniors and seniors, with at least 60 units completed\u00a0<\/p>\n After the ribbon cutting ceremony, President Sa\u00fal Jim\u00e9nez-Sandoval cited students\u2019 concerns for housing in the area as a motivator for this project.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAfter the pandemic, the Fresno region suffered a 28% increase in rental prices,\u201d Jim\u00e9nez-Sandoval said. \u201cOur students were getting stressed out about traditional housing that\u2019s around the university. This is the first step, I\u2019m hoping we can build more of these in the future. Less than 2,000 beds is not enough for a campus of nearly 25,000.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n