University of Georgia department of housing will welcome all new and returning students to Athens Aug. 12-13 during Hunker Down with Housing, a volunteer program designed to streamline the residence hall move-in process for students and their families.

All residents will be permitted to move in to UGA residence halls beginning Aug. 12 at 8 a.m. Aug. 18 at 9 a.m.

Approximately 200 UGA student, faculty and staff volunteers will be located across campus to greet approximately 8,000 new and returning students and parents, give directions to area parking lots, direct traffic and generally serve as a resource for residents and their families. Since the first Hunker Down with Housing in 1998, volunteers have moved in more than 80,000 students.

To ensure a safe and efficient move-in for students returning to campus, University Housing is working with UGA Parking Services, UGA Police and other campus departments, as well as the Athens-Clarke County government, the week preceding the start of classes to ensure that the initial days of move-in run smoothly. UGA’s recycling program will have receptacles available for students to recycle packing boxes and other materials associated with move-in.

On-street parking will not be available on Finley Street (from Baxter Street to Cloverhurst Avenue) and Church Street (from Baxter Street to Talmadge Drive) from Aug. 11 at noon through Aug. 14 at 5 p.m.The Tate Center parking deck and lot will be used as a staging area for Brumby residents on Aug. 12 only. Vehicles must have a Hunker Down pass to access the Tate Center parking deck and the parking lot by Brumby Hall. Unloading zones near the halls will be strictly enforced and vehicles left unattended for longer than one hour will be towed.

On Aug. 12-13, traffic is expected to be very heavy on Baxter, Lumpkin, Finley, Hull and Church streets. Members of the Athens community are advised to avoid these areas and be aware that traffic in the university area will be congested through the weekend.

For real-time updates on traffic congestion and check-in lines throughout the week, follow #HDWH14 on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

For more information about Hunker Down for Housing and residential move-in, see http://housing.uga.edu/hunker-down or contact University Housing at [email protected] or 706-542-1421.