Hundreds of University of Michigan students assigned to Baits II on North Campus will need new housing this fall after the university shuttered four of the dorm complex's five buildings for the 2026-27 school year.

Michigan Housing Director Rick Gibson cited declining occupancy and the need for maintenance and facility upgrades in a June 19 email to affected residents, The Michigan Daily reported Thursday, Aug. 13. Only Coman House will remain open.

Gibson wrote that displaced students would be reassigned to Coman House, with the university aiming to preserve their North Campus experience and original room type where possible. Students may also request a spot in another residence hall or terminate their housing contract without financial penalty.

The complex normally houses about 570 first-year students across five buildings. With four closing, most of those residents face reassignment, though Michigan Housing has not released a precise count.

No reopening timeline has been announced.

Student government says it was blindsided

The Residence Halls Association, a student government body made up of residence hall leaders, said its executive board learned of the closure on June 19, the same day Gibson's email went out. In a statement posted to Instagram, the RHA said it had no prior indication that Michigan Housing intended to alter residence hall availability, despite having recently met with the department's senior officials.

The RHA said it is seeking more details from Michigan Housing about what specific upgrades prompted the decision. Michigan Housing declined The Michigan Daily's request for comment.

Second housing disruption this month

The Baits II closure is the second housing shake-up facing U-M students ahead of the fall semester. As we reported Aug. 11, construction delays at the new 2,300-bed Wolverine Village on Central Campus may push some residents into temporary dorms when that complex opens this fall.

Together, the two disruptions affect students on both North Campus and Central Campus as move-in approaches.

Baits II was built in 1967 as part of U-M's Cedar Bend Project and originally housed graduate students. Its five buildings are named Conger House, Cross House, Coman House, Ziwet House and Thieme House. Students with questions about their reassignment can contact Michigan Housing directly; the RHA said it would share updates as it receives them.