The Multicultural Greek Council and the Black Fraternal Council recently have begun making strides toward establishing permanent housing facilities. Currently, all fraternity and sorority houses are occupied by organizations within the Inter-Fraternity Council and the Inter-Sorority Council.
In an effort to raise awareness about the Greek housing issue, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., a historically black fraternity, yesterday created what the group said will be an ongoing chalk display outside Minor Hall.
"The reason behind it is that we don't have any representation on campus -- we don't have housing," said Brandon Green, the keeper of the records for Kappa Alpha Psi. "Our goal is to establish a permanent visual recognition on campus in order to have people notice not just our social events, but to understand that we are here to leave our mark and make a difference."
BFC Co-Chair Jason Bell said the BFC has pursued housing in the past as a group, but conceded such efforts to its individual fraternities and sororities this year.
The MGC also has begun efforts to establish housing for its fraternities and sororities.
"I think that one of the biggest problems here at U.Va. is that the Greek minority organizations do not have a home that they can call their own," MGC President Melody Han said. "Our office space is one of our only fixtures and that is even being threatened by Student Council."
Han said the MGC is taking serious action this year because it currently has the financial resources and membership to push for housing, unlike the past.
"Now we have people who could sustain a house, which wasn't the case before," Han said.
Han will meet with Vice President for Student Affairs Pat Lampkin April 7 to address housing issue and other issues.
"The basic needs are a place where brothers and sisters can gather in fellowship," Han said. "When you don't have a place to meet, you don't have a place to foster the bonds that other fraternities and sororities can because they live together."
The MGC formed a housing committee last semester to look into the issues surrounding the housing problem.
One option would be "rent-to-own," in which MGC would rent the house until it could pay off the mortgage.
Another option would be for the MGC to use University housing. If this option were implemented, the University Housing Department would designate a hall or building in which members of each MGC organization could live.
However, Han said the University housing option is not the most desirable because of the rigorous regulations that accompany it such as the requirement to have a resident advisor.
Green said the minority Greek organizations simply want to have the same recognition as the other fraternities and sororities around Grounds.
"We just want to have a representation of some nature on campus because I feel like no one sees us," he said. "As far as the U.Va. community as a whole, no one really knows that we are here."
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