We are residents of Baity Hill who will be affected by the planned conversion of Baity Hill to undergraduate housing. We represent both single graduate students and graduate students with families. Many of us are also employees of the university, providing critical instructional and research support.

We were notified in an email from Carolina Housing on January 13th, 2026, that “Beginning Fall 2028, Baity Hill will transition to undergraduate housing.” The email communication indicates that residents who need housing beyond the May 31st, 2028 end date are expected to “work with the Off-Campus Student Life Office to provide resources and connect them with off-campus properties,” with no provision for remaining in on-campus housing.

This decision was made with no input from residents and no transparency about the rationale or decision-making process, despite direct inquiries to the Director of Administrative Services at Carolina Housing, Steven Wiley, from residents over the last two years.

This action also ignores the wishes of Dr. Herman Glenn Baity, the former dean of the UNC School of Public Health and chief engineer for the World Health Organization, who donated the Baity Hill House and surrounding property to the University to support graduate students.

In January, the Daily Tar Heel reported that recent price increases at Baity Hill are already putting pressure on tight budgets. Off-campus housing in Chapel Hill is even more expensive. Baity Hill provides a convenient and affordable option for graduate students, particularly those with young families. This on-campus option often serves as a significant recruitment incentive for departments as they compete for prospective graduate students who will help maintain their long-term academic excellence in research productivity and teaching.

Baity Hill also provides for a close-knit graduate student community, as crucial to belonging and connection for graduate students as for undergrads.

In order to protect the graduate student community at Baity Hill, we are asking you to address the following demands:

1. Provide On-Campus Graduate Student Housing

Maintain Baity Hill as a graduate housing community, or keep on-campus housing options available for graduate students and families at UNC Chapel Hill beyond the Fall 2028 semester. Do not convert Baity Hill to undergraduate housing until more adequate and affordable on-campus options are available.

If you decide to continue with the conversion of Baity Hill, you must provide on-campus housing for graduate students that meets all of the following criteria:

Admits and houses the same number of graduate students that are currently living at Baity Hill.
Provides the same proportion of the types of apartment housing that are at Baity Hill at present (i.e., furnished and unfurnished apartments).
Maintains the same standards of the current Baity Hill living agreement, including the provision that tenants are only required to pay the baseline rent and parking fees, if applicable, and do not pay any additional fees for utilities.
Provides amenities including sufficient parking, a play space for graduate families and their children, protected walking areas in close proximity to the buildings, and a community center.

2. Transparency and Representation

Carolina Housing Leadership (Allan Blattner, Executive Director; Terri Gengler, Executive Assistant; Lindsey Rose, Director of Facilities Management) meet with Baity Hill tenants at an in-person town hall to hear from Baity Hill residents. Furthermore, we demand regular meetings with Carolina Housing leadership and tenant representatives every 6 months to ensure representation of graduate students in future decisions regarding on-campus housing at UNC Chapel Hill.

Graduate students earn government-awarded grants for research at UNC and increase the status of this university. We deserve to live on-campus in a graduate student community.

Sincerely,

Concerned Graduate Student Residents and Families at Baity Hill