As the school year gets into full swing, there have been questions circulating over whether or not the university has addressed housing concerns and overcrowding.

“It appears, though we don’t know the final numbers, that we will again be near or at record enrollment for the fall,” said chancellor Kopper, during her State of the University Address, following a statement announcing housing concerns.

With the completion of the renovations to Fricker and Arey Halls, many students assumed that the housing conflict would be over, though that seems not to be the case because of the record enrollment this year.

Even with the overcrowding on campus, the university is still offering the single living option for residence halls. This shows, to some, that the university is not taking the overcrowding seriously.

To live in a in a single dorm, costs 713 dollars more, for the 2016-2017 year, according to the UW-Whitewater housing website. However, just because it is listed as a “single dorm” does not mean it is meant for one person.

In many cases when someone rents a single dorm they receive a regular room with two desks, two beds, two closets, two dressers, etc. They are required to leave these extras in the rooms.

That is hard to hear because, meanwhile, students who have not been assigned a room are still living in hall lounges for a cut in fees. The question still stands, why is the university allowing students to rent rooms meant for two people, just for themselves, when there is an overcrowding issue?

The university’s housing mission statement reads, “The mission of University Housing is to provide quality, accessible housing and to promote student learning and personal success in an inclusive, engaging community.”

How can the university provide “quality, accessible housing” when they can not provide enough dorm rooms for all the students who are attending UW-Whitewater. This growing concern has reached many students who are questioning why the university is accepting more students than it can provide housing for.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that the vice chancellor for admission affairs, Jeff Arnold, replied to the housing concern that “The university expects to start classes next month with 22 students living in lounges, though that number will change “when we see who shows up.”

The university is setting its sight on building a new dorm, set to open in 2019 that can house 400 students, though for now it is still currently facing the issue of overcrowding.

The idea that the university is offering single rooms, while students are currently living in lounges is disturbing. The university needs to eliminate single housing to accompany times of overcrowding and limit the admissions based on occupancy within the residence halls.

The only individuals who should receive single rooms are those who have approval from the Center for Students with Disabilities, or a doctor.

While many students prefer the option to live alone, it is just not feasible, nor is it ethical, to allow students to live in the lounges while attending the university with the current and future housing concerns.