Despite hot housing market, 120 beds available for single students at MUN residence

Memorial University expects a lack of affordable housing options to be an issue for students for subsequent semesters, but there is one option many aren't availing of.

MUN's traditional student residences at Paton College has space available. 

Bruce Belbin, MUN's director of student residences and ancillary affairs, said Paton College offers standard, shared dorm rooms and there's 120 beds available.

"The 100-bed vacancy is pretty normal, I would say, in terms of the operation," Belbin said.

Staying at Paton College costs between $4,957 and $5,225 for a 15-week semester, which includes a mandatory meal plan. 

Broken down, Belbin said rent is around $600 a month which includes heat, light, water, internet, safety, laundry services and more.

"It is actually probably cheaper to live on campus in those single rooms with all the amenities than it would be to find a place within the confines of the city, which is within a five-kilometre radius," Belbin said.

The mandatory student meal plan includes three meals per day at a cost of $28.50 a day.

Belbin said the vacancies at Paton College reflect students who have found a plan to live and those who don't want to live there for various reasons. Still, he said, the option is available.

"With 100 empty beds, it may not seem like a crisis anymore, right," Belbin said. "We say we have space, here's the price point, here's the services. You should really consider this. In a perfect world they would."

MUN has two other student residences for undergraduate students in MacPherson College and Burton's Ponds apartments.

Both facilities are full and slightly more expensive than Paton College.

"People want the single room experience and the single occupancy," Belbin said.

Not all students want to share a house with four or five other roommates, but that is the option many pursue to secure lower rent rates.