Saint Anselm College has struggled over the past few years when it comes to student housing. With bigger classes coming in at a steady pace, many have been clamouring for more housing for students on campus. Luckily, the College has found a solution to this pressing issue. Saint Anselm announced that Joseph Hall would be receiving significant renovations in order to implement more housing for students.
In an announcement made by Dr. Susan Gabert ’91, Dr. Gabert expressed that the new move will add 60-80 new beds for students. The renovations will be done by the beginning of the Fall 2025 semester. While housing was a major issue pressing the community, this decision has also put faculty and staff members in positions where they have to vacate their old offices.
Along with the announcement of renovation, the College will have history and business offices and all classes in Joseph moved to Gadbois Hall, giving new life to the building at a time where the new Jean School of Nursing and Health Sciences at Grappone Hall is set to open in August.
The biggest question with these recent announcements is what is to become of the Bloomberg Lab in Joseph Hall. Many speculate that the lab will be moved along with the rest of the classes and offices to Gadbois.
As for students, the news is a double edged sword for many. While it adds much needed housing, it has also added disruptions to the 2025-26 housing selection process. To coincide with the announcement, it was made aware to students that those looking to live in the Lowers apartments must now be 5 people per apartment instead of the traditional 4 people. This now makes pretty much all apartments and townhouses 5 people. This decision has many students expressing frustration and concern as many housing plans are being upended.
Liv Habig ’26 expressed disappointment in the timing of the announcement, which came a mere few days before housing deposits for students were due. “The school should have told us immediately when they found out. Instead, sending it so late makes it feel like so many students won’t get good housing next school year. Everyone deserves a fair shot at getting the dorm they want to be in. The housing process in general is just so stressful and really isn’t a fun time for anyone. Sending the news two days before also makes it seem a little suspicious that they probably knew this months ago and decided to wait to tell us. How do they expect us to react? Giving the school $300 that quickly is not easy for some to do, especially with knowing the new news.” she said.
Habig’s concerns continued regarding the announcement of having 5 people per apartment in the Lowers apartments. “I am genuinely concerned for the mental health and well being of the students that are forced to live in a forced triple or forced five. The apartments are designed for four, not five.As much as the school thinks it’s an easy fix to just add one more person, it makes a huge difference. I live in a forced five in Fuppers, I am not in the triple but I cannot imagine the stress my roommates have living in there,” Habig said.
Forcing more people into one room does not necessarily mean more space is created elsewhere for someone else. Habig mentioned her living situation with her roommates and the division of space between the five of them in their apartment. “My direct roommate and I get two desks in our room when our roommates have one in their room. They also only have two closets and we all know girls love clothes, so having that little space is the least fair,” Habig said. The amount of space available makes for tight quarters.
Habig’s concern for the effects of living situations on mental health was noticed by another student. The anonymous student ’26, currently living in Brady Hall said “I am concerned by the number of things the school seems to put above its students, and most of all, I am concerned about what living in such a confined space will do to my mental health. I have struggled throughout my entire life with my mental health, and I have to say, the living spaces we are provided here already have been a challenge for me. It seems like they just don’t get it. We are humans who deserve a private space to unwind after a long day of hard work, not just admission numbers.” It is a challenge to adequately meet the needs of students while also planning ahead for future admitted students.
The anonymous student also voiced concerns and disappointment about the timing of the message about housing regarding the housing deposits, and said “ I think the college absolutely should have told us earlier. To be honest, this whole situation is testing my trust in Saint Anselm..which doesn’t feel good. I love this community and it is my dream to receive my diploma here, but sending out a message like this after most of us have already paid $300 to live here next year just feels shady. It doesn’t help that the email they sent out about this was not the first time a lot of us had heard about the new housing arrangements, they’ve known this was happening for a while so why didn’t they tell us?”
Disappointment in the housing situations for next fall are being experienced by lowerclassmen as well. An anonymous student ’27 living in the LLC said “I am very displeased with the new rooming situations. I originally planned on an apartment of four for Saint Benedict Court. The group of four was decided a long time ago, but now we need to find a fifth, and that is if we can even get into an apartment. I am shocked they want to make more forced triples in LLC and apartments, and I am upset because it makes housing very unpleasant for everyone.”
Another anonymous resident ’26 of the LLC added that “I am very disappointed in the school’s news on housing. I think it is insane to continue to force triples into double rooms and expect it to be ok. Adding one person to a room is more than a bed, it is a wardrobe, a desk, and personal belongings. One person adds a lot to a space, which is already small, and makes it very stressful.”
The college’s rapid expansion with large class sizes points to housing as a critical issue for students who live on campus. With the need for space on the rise and the decreasing availability of space, it will be tight quarters for on-campus residents.