Chapman University’s new residence hall is set to open in the fall 2024 semester to about 800 students, according to administration.

Chapman announced the purchase of the Anavia Apartments — which will be renamed Chapman Court — last November. In the meantime, current residents of Anavia have many unanswered questions.

Zach Hess, a second-year graduate student pursuing a master’s in film and television producing, said both Chapman and Essex — the company that owns Anavia — haven’t been answering his questions regarding the upcoming timeline or what will happen to him and the rest of the tenants.

“I asked if they had any information on the purchase, and they said they’d get back to me and they never did,” Hess told The Panther. “And now, they just don’t really respond to any questions from the tenants. I do wonder about families that have set up lives (in) this apartment and whether they are being supported or even communicated with by the university or the property management about what they’re going to do when a bunch of Chapman students move in.”

Hess and his neighbors have had to find many answers themselves, eventually discovering that Anavia’s website no longer advertises renting new spaces.

“At some point we noticed that they didn’t have any new leasing options on the website,” Hess said. “Everyone’s just assuming that they just aren’t renewing leases.”

Hess — who has lived at Anavia for almost two years — told The Panther that the apartment complex is one of the more affordable options in the Anaheim Platinum Triangle, leaving him worried about other residents’ ability to find new housing options in the area.

“The apartment across the street from mine, for the same place, is almost $1000 more a month,” Hess said. “There are families that probably can’t afford the $1000 more, but have still set up their lives around living in this community. What happens to them? Do they have to move?”

Jamie Ceman, the vice president of strategic marketing and communications at Chapman, told The Panther that Chapman is honoring all existing lease agreements.

“We are exceeding legal requirements by providing additional flexibility where possible and providing additional financial assistance in the form of rent credit when calculating security deposit returns,” Ceman wrote in a statement sent to The Panther.

Ceman said that pushing the opening of Chapman Court to 2024 will allow enough time for the current tenants to find new housing.

“It is important to know that Chapman leadership is committed to a process that eases the transition for current occupants of the apartment complex,” Ceman wrote. “With that, we also retained the current property management company to assist with the transition and help tenants find options in local properties.” 

The purchase of Anavia was meant to address the lack of university-owned housing options for continuing students, who currently are able to live in Chapman Grand, Panther Village, The K or off campus.

Chapman has seen a need for new housing in the past few years, with the goal of housing 50% of all undergraduates, including all freshman and sophomore students. The number of freshmen reached an all-time high this school year, causing housing shortages for first-year students. 

At the same time, the university has also seen an increase in continuing students seeking campus housing options. University officials said the acquisition will bring housing capacity to almost 55% of the total undergraduate population.  

“We understand the disruption a change such as this causes individuals and families,” Ceman wrote. “Therefore, we are working closely with the property management company and the tenants throughout the process.”

This is a developing story. Follow The Panther on social media and at thepanthernewspaper.org for updates.