Floors 14-27 of University housing complex Dobie Twenty21 have been closed since August, causing displacement for students who signed a lease. Dobie Twenty21 staff hosted a panel in the Dobie courtyard on Thursday to address this issue and resident’s ongoing concerns.

The thirteen floors are closed for construction, but it is unclear what the actual construction project is, Maile Allen, a journalism and government senior and vice president of the Dobie residential hall council said. Allen said that Dobie moved displaced students to the Moxy hotel and Jester residence hall.

Around thirty people attended the panel, where residents were able to ask questions directed to Dobie staff through Allen, who moderated the panel. The staff didn’t have many answers to questions regarding the construction. 

During the panel, Jesse Lafarga, Dobie Twenty21 complex coordinator, said that several floors are planned to reopen by the end of this month. In a statement emailed to The Daily Texan, Shilpa Bakre, Executive Director of Communications and Marketing, said there was no update on construction beyond this. 

“The University continues to work diligently to make improvements and complete repairs at Dobie Twenty21 that meet our high standards for our students’ housing experience,” Bakre said.

Allen said Dobie residents didn’t know about the closures until their move-in day in August. 

“My room number was on the 21st floor,” Allen said. “When I arrived, they said, ‘Oh actually, half of the building is shut down.’ They had to reassign us a new room. Now I’m living on the 11th floor.”

Allen said some students who planned to live alone now have to live with a roommate. Some who planned to live with only one other roommate had to accommodate for a third.

Lafarga said students who have had to relocate will receive an email when their rooms become available. He said students can check where they are on the “priority list” by emailing University Housing and Dining or by visiting the housing advisor’s office in-person. 

Allen said the University has offered no compensation for students who have been relocated due to Dobie Twenty21 floor closures.

“I asked, multiple people asked, and there’s going to be no compensation for any of the wrong rooms,” Allen said. “For anything. Nobody’s getting compensated.” 

Allen said a number of residents have been reporting water heating issues since mid-October, though Lafarga said this issue is not consistent across all floors.

“It’s dependent on an individual basis and we are addressing those as they come to our attention,” Lafarga said. “You also shouldn’t be experiencing any issues with hot water as we have plenty of boilers to heat up your water.” 

Residents citing maintenance issues is not a new problem for DobieTwenty21. The University purchased Dobie Twenty21 from Trinity Property Consultants in 2021 and began officially managing the property on Feb.1 of this year. Some students said they hoped the purchase would improve living conditions at the property, according to previous Daily Texan reporting. 

In March, The Daily Texan reported residents complaining of non-functioning washers and dryers and unkempt elevators.