- Magnolia Reserve has started moving students in after months-long delays.
- Students were oginially supposed to move in July 31st.
- Watch the video to see how it's affecting affordable housing options.
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT
You see these apartments behind me?
Students in Valdosta are living here after delays moving in.
"Frustrtating, aggravting, wasting time on nothing..."
I’m Malia Thomas, in Valdosta.
I'm following up on that delay as the people behind the complex work to move forward.
"We were in hotels for like 5-6 months."
Meet Tania Thomas.
She just moved in Magnolia Reserve.
She tells me struggle to find an affordable place to live while being a college students was compounded by her living situation.
She was..
"having to having to check out at 11am and having to go to work at 12, missing work, missing money. Having to spend money one food and not being able to store food properly."
I reported on the initial delays in August. The property owners told me it was due to bad weather and June as well as electrical work needing to be redone in wake of Hurricane Idalia.
Now, three months later, only half of the complex is filled.
I checked back in with them and they tell me they were able to begin move-ins a few weeks ago.
They added "Our contractors and electricians are working diligently to get our remaining two buildings up and running so students can move into their homes."
Magnolia Reserve advertises as affordable, modern, luxury college living,
Something Thomas says is what attracted her to the complex.
"It's really spacious. You can tell it's a little half did, but it'll do for now.
She's not the only one in Valdosta dealing with housing insecurity.
I checked with Valdosta Housing Authority and Housing and Urban Development for Georgia.
In simple terms, demand for affordable housing is 4 to 5 times greater than supply right now, and a big chunk of that demand is for college students.
The 100 and 200 buildings are move-in ready, but students have yet to move into the third building.
In Valdosta, I’m Malia Thomas, ABC27.
