Allan Blattner has worked in student housing 34 years, and since 2015 he’s led Carolina Housing as its executive director.

Throughout his career, Blattner has had to account for plenty of changes, from growing student bodies to unexpected challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another shift he’s noticed and embraced is the growing role students play in shaping campus housing.

“We’ve come a long way from the barracks-style dorms,” Blattner said. “The best housing is created when we listen to the people who will live in it. Today, students are part of the conversation from the very beginning, bringing perspectives and experiences that help shape our vision for the future.”

Carolina is set to break ground on both Jackson Hall and New Residence Hall One on Country Club Road, previously home to the University’s admissions office. When they open in fall of 2028, they’ll be Carolina’s first new residence halls since 2006. Together they will provide approximately 730 beds.

The University also has plans to replace several existing residence halls, including Parker and Teague, and renovate others, including Hinton James, Ehringhaus and Craige. These are all parts of Carolina Housing’s Construction Master Plan, which runs through 2034 and accounts for Chancellor Lee H. Roberts’ plan to grow enrollment by 5,000 students during that time.

The University’s development of Carolina North will also be key in addressing student housing demand. The approximately 230-acre development will include housing for both undergraduate and graduate students.

While Carolina Housing will not operate housing at Carolina North, Blattner and his team are still heavily involved, including now at the early stages of development.

“There’s only so much we can do on campus. There’s only so much land,” Blattner said. “Carolina North became the perfect solution. We could enable the private market to build new student housing in this great new place we’re developing. Carolina Housing’s plans and the Carolina North plans then dovetail in terms of coming together to ensure that the overall number of beds that are available meet the needs for our growing student population.”

Tiffany Lacey, Carolina’s executive director of real estate development, leads the planning for Carolina North. She recognizes the value of student input and has been working to incorporate it while shaping plans for housing and other aspects of Carolina North.

“I want students to be active participants in the process,” Lacey said. “I would encourage students to attend the Stakeholder Advisory Committee meetings, raise thoughts they may have about student housing or Carolina North in general. We want students to have the opportunity to share their ideas and concerns with the committee, as well as part of future engagement that we will roll out over the course of the project. Carolina North is only at the beginning of its journey, but it’s a journey I want us to take together.”

Blattner has seen tangible results from student collaboration. Thanks to the work of groups like the Residence Hall Association, students have shared what they need in their living spaces. Following the pandemic, this included bigger windows, small rooms in the common areas for telehealth visits or personal calls and even more community-based outdoor areas.

This feedback contributed to many of the changes seen in last year’s Avery Residence Hall renovations, and it now serves as the foundation for Carolina Housing’s future.

“Without students’ input, we’re building something that doesn’t resonate, and we’re building something that will never feel like home to them,” Blattner said. “It’s a partnership that we continuously build upon — whether that’s meeting with the RHA or with Graduate and Professional Student Government regarding graduate student housing. We’re always looking for what our students find to be valuable.”