Engineering firm selected for Richmond Residence Hall renovations; University facilitating student-friendly payment options at local apartments
More students are choosing North Carolina Central University (NCCU), and the university is responding by expanding on-campus housing and working with local apartment communities to make renting easier.
The University of North Carolina Board of Governors approved $20 million in financing for the renovation of Richmond Residence Hall at its September 2026 meeting. The NCCU Board of Trustees approved the next phase by selecting HCM to provide architecture and engineering services for this project.
When completed in the 2028-2029 academic year, the renovation will add over 250 beds to the on-campus housing stock at NCCU.
In addition, NCCU is also working with privately-owned apartment communities in Durham to make renting more accessible. Over the past year, university leaders have encouraged housing providers to offer terms that better fit the needs of college students.
To date, more than 15 complexes have reduced or waived application and administrative fees; relaxed some income requirements; altered rent payment schedules to better match student financial aid disbursements; or made a combination of these changes. Students and their families are responsible for choosing housing and signing rental agreements with private providers. NCCU helps connect students with available properties through housing fairs and other resources.
The university surpassed 10,000 students for the first time in school history in fall 2026, growing 9.1% over the previous year. While this growth was driven largely by online, transfer and graduate students, demand for on-campus living among undergraduate students is also rising. NCCU currently houses 43.4% of undergraduates on campus, compared with 24.5% at public four-year colleges nationwide.