Lorna Morris
Lorna Morris
The Price of Sisterhood: Housing Injustice at Spelman College
The Price of Sisterhood: Housing Injustice at Spelman College
Rising enrollment, demolished dorms and Atlanta’s soaring rent market have left many students scrambling for affordable housing after just their freshman year.
Imagine being a first-year student at the illustrious Spelman College, during the fall semester, overcome with excitement about dorm life, late-night talks in the lounge, floor-wide study sessions and the promise of sisterhood just down the hall. However, by the spring semester, those memories were cut short. Instead of preparing for finals, several students found themselves scrolling through apartment listings and tour rentals that most broke college students could hardly afford.
“My initial reaction was dumbfounded and surprised,” junior Ma’Kyra Wilson said. “Before I even got on campus, Spelman sent out contracts and documents that said freshmen were required to live on campus their first two years. When I reached the end of my freshman year and found out I was being kicked out of housing, I was confused.”
Ma’Kyra is one of dozens of students who have been forced out of on-campus housing after their first year, a consequence of Spelman’s long-running housing crisis. While the college promises freshman dorms, capacity issues mean many sophomores and upperclassmen are pushed into Atlanta’s competitive rental market, where average rents have climbed far above what students can pay.
The shortage, years in the making, has fueled frustration, protests and calls for action. Spelman recently announced plans for a new 670-bed residence hall slated to open in 2028. However, for current students, relief still feels distant.
For students forced off campus, the shift has been more than a solo change of address; it has reshaped their entire Spelman experience.
Yet, in the face of this adversity, many students, like junior Grace Barlow, have shown remarkable resilience, refusing to let the financial strain deter them from their academic pursuits.
“It is more expensive living off campus, my rent sophomore year was over $1,800. On top of that I had to pay for my transportation to and from class, in addition to buying food and other necessities,” Barlow said.
There is also the loss of connection, without easy access to dorm events and late-night campus life, students say they feel disconnected from their peers. This sense of community, which is so integral to the Spelman experience, has been significantly disrupted.
“Living off campus pushes you out of the community. I felt disconnected, and I had to navigate how I could acclimate myself back into the Spelman community even while being off campus,” Barlow said.
Safety and transportation have added new challenges. With classes ending late and club meetings often running past dark, some students say commuting back to off-campus apartments feels risky.
“Spelman has top-tier security, which is very different from living out in the real world where you don’t have that luxury 24/7,” Wilson said. “There are times when I feel unsafe driving home late at night, constantly checking to make sure no one is following me; especially as a vulnerable woman, and particularly as a Black woman.”
Students describe the stress of housing insecurity bleeding into their academics, affecting their ability to focus on studies and perform at their best. The constant worry about where they will live next semester or how they will afford rent can be a significant distraction, hindering their academic success.
“How are we supposed to succeed when we have to think about all of these details?” Wilson said. “This burden, which extends far beyond the academic realm, is a constant reminder of the financial challenges many students face. It’s not just about affording higher education; it’s figuring out how to pay for commuting, keeping the lights on, covering bills and still having enough left for textbooks.”
Spelman’s housing crisis is not a new phenomenon. For years, students have raised concerns about limited dorm space and the strain of Atlanta’s rising rental market. In 2024, students organized protests demanding more transparency after learning that many sophomores would not be guaranteed housing for the upcoming year. Signs reading “Where will we go?” and “Housing is a right” filled the campus as students called on administrators to take action.
The loss compounded the problem, and then the eventual rebuild of two historic dorms. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall and Morehouse James were demolished, reducing the already tight capacity.
At the same time, enrollment has steadily increased, leaving Spelman to rely on housing lotteries and off-campus placements to accommodate the growing demand. In some years, students have been temporarily placed in nearby hotels.
“Even in my freshman year, we had girls in the new class living in hotel rooms during their first semester, some even in Georgia State University dorms,” Wilson said. “How can you fully commit yourself to a school with a $50,000 tuition bill when you’re not even guaranteed the opportunity to live on your own campus?”
As Spelman looks ahead to its 2028 residence hall, the immediate challenge remains: how to support students navigating housing insecurity in the present. The college has introduced Housing Fairs at the start of the spring semester to connect students with off-campus options. Still, students argue that these efforts come late and do little to alleviate the financial and emotional strain.
For students like Ma’Kyra Wilson and Grace Barlow, the housing crisis is not just an institutional issue; it is a daily reality that profoundly affects their safety, sense of community and academic success. They call on the administration to act with urgency, to ensure that no one is left searching for shelter in the shadow of a high tuition bill.
From the perspective of college administrators, the housing crisis at Spelman is a multifaceted issue that requires careful consideration and planning. They acknowledge the challenges students face and are working to address them. They are committed to finding solutions that ensure all students have a safe and supportive living environment.
“With the lack of transparency and accountability from Spelman’s administration, it’s hard to believe they truly want us to succeed as Black women,” \4Wilson said. “We constantly see our sisters, whether older or younger, setting up GoFundMe pages for financial assistance, or being told they don’t have housing and can’t afford to live off campus. It’s unacceptable.”
Rising enrollment, demolished dorms and Atlanta’s soaring rent market have left many students scrambling for affordable housing after just their freshman year.
Imagine being a first-year student at the illustrious Spelman College, during the fall semester, overcome with excitement about dorm life, late-night talks in the lounge, floor-wide study sessions and the promise of sisterhood just down the hall. However, by the spring semester, those memories were cut short. Instead of preparing for finals, several students found themselves scrolling through apartment listings and tour rentals that most broke college students could hardly afford.
“My initial reaction was dumbfounded and surprised,” junior Ma’Kyra Wilson said. “Before I even got on campus, Spelman sent out contracts and documents that said freshmen were required to live on campus their first two years. When I reached the end of my freshman year and found out I was being kicked out of housing, I was confused.”
Ma’Kyra is one of dozens of students who have been forced out of on-campus housing after their first year, a consequence of Spelman’s long-running housing crisis. While the college promises freshman dorms, capacity issues mean many sophomores and upperclassmen are pushed into Atlanta’s competitive rental market, where average rents have climbed far above what students can pay.
The shortage, years in the making, has fueled frustration, protests and calls for action. Spelman recently announced plans for a new 670-bed residence hall slated to open in 2028. However, for current students, relief still feels distant.
For students forced off campus, the shift has been more than a solo change of address; it has reshaped their entire Spelman experience.
Yet, in the face of this adversity, many students, like junior Grace Barlow, have shown remarkable resilience, refusing to let the financial strain deter them from their academic pursuits.
“It is more expensive living off campus, my rent sophomore year was over $1,800. On top of that I had to pay for my transportation to and from class, in addition to buying food and other necessities,” Barlow said.
There is also the loss of connection, without easy access to dorm events and late-night campus life, students say they feel disconnected from their peers. This sense of community, which is so integral to the Spelman experience, has been significantly disrupted.
“Living off campus pushes you out of the community. I felt disconnected, and I had to navigate how I could acclimate myself back into the Spelman community even while being off campus,” Barlow said.
Safety and transportation have added new challenges. With classes ending late and club meetings often running past dark, some students say commuting back to off-campus apartments feels risky.
“Spelman has top-tier security, which is very different from living out in the real world where you don’t have that luxury 24/7,” Wilson said. “There are times when I feel unsafe driving home late at night, constantly checking to make sure no one is following me; especially as a vulnerable woman, and particularly as a Black woman.”
Students describe the stress of housing insecurity bleeding into their academics, affecting their ability to focus on studies and perform at their best. The constant worry about where they will live next semester or how they will afford rent can be a significant distraction, hindering their academic success.
“How are we supposed to succeed when we have to think about all of these details?” Wilson said. “This burden, which extends far beyond the academic realm, is a constant reminder of the financial challenges many students face. It’s not just about affording higher education; it’s figuring out how to pay for commuting, keeping the lights on, covering bills and still having enough left for textbooks.”
Spelman’s housing crisis is not a new phenomenon. For years, students have raised concerns about limited dorm space and the strain of Atlanta’s rising rental market. In 2024, students organized protests demanding more transparency after learning that many sophomores would not be guaranteed housing for the upcoming year. Signs reading “Where will we go?” and “Housing is a right” filled the campus as students called on administrators to take action.
The loss compounded the problem, and then the eventual rebuild of two historic dorms. Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Hall and Morehouse James were demolished, reducing the already tight capacity.
At the same time, enrollment has steadily increased, leaving Spelman to rely on housing lotteries and off-campus placements to accommodate the growing demand. In some years, students have been temporarily placed in nearby hotels.
“Even in my freshman year, we had girls in the new class living in hotel rooms during their first semester, some even in Georgia State University dorms,” Wilson said. “How can you fully commit yourself to a school with a $50,000 tuition bill when you’re not even guaranteed the opportunity to live on your own campus?”
As Spelman looks ahead to its 2028 residence hall, the immediate challenge remains: how to support students navigating housing insecurity in the present. The college has introduced Housing Fairs at the start of the spring semester to connect students with off-campus options. Still, students argue that these efforts come late and do little to alleviate the financial and emotional strain.
For students like Ma’Kyra Wilson and Grace Barlow, the housing crisis is not just an institutional issue; it is a daily reality that profoundly affects their safety, sense of community and academic success. They call on the administration to act with urgency, to ensure that no one is left searching for shelter in the shadow of a high tuition bill.
From the perspective of college administrators, the housing crisis at Spelman is a multifaceted issue that requires careful consideration and planning. They acknowledge the challenges students face and are working to address them. They are committed to finding solutions that ensure all students have a safe and supportive living environment.
“With the lack of transparency and accountability from Spelman’s administration, it’s hard to believe they truly want us to succeed as Black women,” \4Wilson said. “We constantly see our sisters, whether older or younger, setting up GoFundMe pages for financial assistance, or being told they don’t have housing and can’t afford to live off campus. It’s unacceptable.”