The Woods Housing | Photo by Monica Brutto | The Wright State Guardian
Since 2017, Wright State University has practiced gender-inclusive housing to create an accepting and safe community for students of all gender identities.
Gender-inclusive housing and open housing
Gender-inclusive housing and open housing allows for a housing assignment that does not require all roommates to be of the same sex or gender.
This policy and practice of gender-inclusive housing has become commonplace in universities, including the University of Dayton and Harvard University.
“Gender-inclusive housing brings together individuals as part of a welcoming and inclusive community where roommates can select to live with each other regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression,” the WSU Residence Life and Housing webpage reads.
Open housing is a process to accommodate requests from individuals who want to live with individuals with different genders who do not have to identify as part of the LGBTQA+ community.
Implementation
Assistant Director of the LGBTQA+ Center Emily Yantis-Houser explained the benefit of gender-inclusive housing, especially for certain groups and communities on campus.
“[Gender-inclusive housing] can be the most safe option for our transgender students and nonbinary students. It’s covering that basic need, housing that you can be yourself in,” Yantis-Houser said.
According to Yantis-Houser, gender-inclusive housing generally focuses on accommodating the LGBTQA+ community, while open housing is generally used by heterosexual couples wishing to live together. WSU accommodates both types of housing.
The distinction between the two housing practices allows for LGBTQA+ students in gender-inclusive housing to build community and know that roommates will be accepting of the LGBTQA+ community.
Students taking advantage of gender-inclusive housing continue to rise, and according to Yantis-Houser, five to 10 students per week have applied for gender-inclusive housing this semester.
Resident assistant Sara Pothast explained a personal perception of students who live in other areas of campus after living in gender-inclusive housing.
“I’ve had residents that were in gender-inclusive [housing] before in Cedar [Forest Lane], and they were treated no differently,” Pothast said.
How to apply
This year, in a first for WSU, Residence Life and Housing hosted a Gender-Inclusive Roommate Mixer on Jan. 26 to allow potential roommates in gender-inclusive housing to get to know each other. At the event, students enjoyed light refreshments and had the opportunity to ask questions about gender-inclusive housing.
Students must now complete a gender-inclusive housing application for the WSU housing department to consider those individuals for specific housing options. Students can find more information about housing options at WSU on the Residence Life and Housing website.
