Magnolia Reserve, an unfinished apartment complex targeted towards VSU students, continues to leave many students without a permanent residence.

The apartment complex has sent emails saying the move-in date would be soon, but there has been little progress in the last three months. An email was sent Wednesday evening, Oct. 11, stating that move-in would start this weekend.

Similar move-in updates have been made in the past few weeks and have proven to be incorrect.

According to the email, inspectors are expected to arrive on Friday. Residents will be allowed to move into two of the buildings on Saturday pending approval by City of Valdosta inspectors. Residents in the rest of the buildings will move in during the next two weeks.

Mandeep Singh, Magnolia Reserve property owner, said in an interview with WALB on Oct. 3 that he was hopeful that move-in would occur in the middle of last week or early this week.

Residents and their parents were not as hopeful.

“Every week we get an update saying it’s going to be the next weekend and it’s going to be the next weekend and that has not happened,” said Karen Hill, whose daughter attends VSU and signed a lease at Magnolia Reserve.

Hill’s search for housing led her to contacting VSU in hopes that her daughter could live on campus, but has yet to hear back on how they will be able to assist.

According to Dr. Vince Miller, VSU VP of Student Affairs, the university is attempting to help the affected students.

“We have not heard from a large number but of course, the resources we have available are offered to any student that’s impacted. We understand the situation at hand and where we can help, we will,” Miller told WALB.

Hill, the VSU parent, also contacted the mayor’s office, City Hall and the local permit office searching for answers. City Hall was unable to help and no one from the mayor’s office has returned her messages.

The response from the permit office confirmed that inspections had taken place in three units in one building at Magnolia Reserve. Due to the limited number of inspections, Hill does not think her daughter will have a permanent residence this week.

“She’s living basically out of a suitcase in a hotel for three months and has not been able to lead a normal life for the last three months. Also, when they get kicked out of the hotel, she’s basically living in her car until she’s able to drive home,” said Hill. “So she’s putting herself in jeopardy by leaving her items in her car.”

The additional financial and emotional stress has Hill at her wit’s end.

“I hope that we can get some type of answers and clarity, or if someone locally is able to just help these students and have some solutions for them so they can just move on with their life because a lot of time has been wasted. This has, you know, physically and mentally affected not just my daughter, but all of the students,” said Hill.

Written by Katelynn Florig, Spectator Reporter. Photo courtesy of Austin Bruce, Co-Editor in Chief.