KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Finding an affordable apartment close to the University of Tennessee’s campus is a struggle all too familiar for students, especially in Knoxville’s hot housing market.

More students are enrolling in UT. Last fall the school was forced to rent a West Knoxville hotel to accommodate students making it a temporary dorm.

After seeing a record number of enrollees this past school year, the University of Tennessee released a master plan detailing new dorms set to be built over the next few years.

“I think with three new dorms especially that should be able to increase the number of people able to come here,” 2023 UT Graduate Justin Stackhouse said. “This is a good way to keep those enrollment numbers up.”

The new dorms will add around 2,500 beds to the school’s housing inventory, hopefully alleviating those housing woes.

“These three dorms, because they are brand new, are going to relieve the issue and people are going to want to live there more,” UT Senior Bryan Donovan said. “The overall experience for students will be better.”

When Donovan and Stackhouse started at UT, they did not have near the issues finding housing that some students are having today but did said that the way the housing office is run works.

“I think the new housing is phenomenal, a lot of students love living there,” Donovan said. “The athletes love living there because they stay there throughout their four years. It’s a great place to live and I wouldn’t change anything about it.”

Students also said one of the biggest benefits to adding dorms, is the school can get more people enrolled.

“It’s better to get people in here and get those enrollment numbers up,” Stackhouse said.

It should be noted that UT has also signed a lease agreement with Lakemoor Station Apartments in South Knoxville to add 192 beds for students during the upcoming school year.

The school said the first two dorms along Caledonia Avenue and Andy Holt Avenue should be finished by the Fall of 2025 and the dorm next to Lindsey Nelson Stadium being completed by the Fall of 2026.