This year, for the first time in the University’s history, students signing up for on-campus housing will be able to choose to register in gender inclusive units.
This option will be available for all students living in on-campus housing next year, including incoming freshmen, current freshmen and upperclassmen.
The policy shift reflects a step the University is taking to make its housing environment more comfortable for students.
“Inclusive housing helps Residential Life fulfill their mission of providing safe and inclusive housing that supports the needs of Hopkins students,” Demere Woolway, Director of LGBTQ Life, wrote in an email to The News-Letter. “This has the potential to especially impact the lives of transgender students, who are sometimes housed in a way that does not respect their gender identity. With gender inclusive housing, trans students can be housed in a way that supports their identity.”
Gender inclusive housing will be an option and will not be required. Units will not be located on a specific building, floor or wing. The rooms will be identified as gender inclusive only after the room selection process.
Currently, the Department of Housing and Dining Services allows group housing in McCoy Hall with mixed genders in a group. However, rooms themselves are still designated as single-sex. This policy will allow students who are not of the same legal sex to be assigned to the same room, creating a gender inclusive unit.
Gender inclusive housing was an idea brought up three years ago through the Housing Advisory Board by a group of students who contended that gender-inclusive housing was an option at other schools.
“We have, particularly this past Fall, [done] a lot of research on our peer institutions, and we got information from other schools about whether they have gender inclusive or gender neutral housing, and what we found is that more and more schools are having this situation,” Tracey Angel, the director of Housing and Operations, said.
According to the policy, should a space open in a gender inclusive housing unit, the students in the unit will find a student to fill the space. If not, the University will try to do so. If this is unsuccessful, then the unit may need to return to single legal sex.
Students have viewed this change in policy positively.
“It’s personal choice. If you want to room with the opposite gender, you should be able to,” freshman Annie Hou said.
Freshman Christine Fei agreed.
“It’s a good idea for people who don’t conform to traditional gender identities,” Fei said. “I feel this is a really good way for people to get into a housing situation they are comfortable with. It’s a step in the right direction.”
Though students will be allowed to choose whichever housing arrangement they are more comfortable with, students are strongly discouraged from rooming with their significant others.
“The only problem I can think of is if couples live together,” freshman Alisha Kardian said. “But it makes sense to do. We’re all adults here.”
Angel also expressed excitement towards the new policy.
“It’s a learning experience. We’ve developed a policy and we’re going to work with it for next year and see how it goes, and if we need to do more as we move forward, we will,” Angel said. “I think this will be a real enhancement in terms of our housing program.”
