Everything You Need To Know About Student Housing in 2024

The on-campus student housing sector is always evolving, but recent shifts have made trends feel faster and more consequential than ever before. Beyond dealing with standard-fare concerns like aging inventory and outdated furniture, most schools are also now competing with increasingly sophisticated off-campus housing options.

Housing professionals responsible for strategy and planning are bombarded with trends and ideas that will supposedly give their institution an upper hand in this battle for residential dollars. Traditional residence halls with few amenities are out! Eco-friendly living spaces with adaptive design are in! “Luxury” messaging is out! Strong community programming is in!

The noise can quickly drown out the signal. But successful housing programs know how to protect their revenue by investing in value-generating trends while ignoring fads.

Housing.Cloud is constantly digesting our industry’s publications, conference topics, and online conversations to ensure our products are attuned to the challenges and opportunities our partner schools face in the marketplace.

Following are some trends, themes, and challenges that are the most cited in our research this year.

Residential Community Trends

Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Living Spaces

Sustainability is a top priority for today's environmentally-conscious students. They want to live in student housing facilities that align with their values. Investing in sustainability can take many forms, including:

• Installing energy-efficient appliances and lighting

• Implementing recycling and composting programs

• Using sustainable building materials in new construction or renovations

• Adding electric vehicle charging stations

The University of California, Davis, for example, has set a high standard with its West Village, the largest planned zero-net energy community in the United States. The complex features solar panels, smart thermostats, and a biodigester that converts food waste into clean energy.

In 2021, UC Davis fully opened The Green at West Village, a massive expansion that added nearly 3,300 beds to the campus in apartment-style units. This $575 million project includes 1.3 million square feet of student housing and amenity space across nine four-story apartment buildings.

Smart Technology Integration

Gen Z grew up with smartphones in-hand, so they expect their living environment to be just as connected. Smart technology is no longer a futuristic concept — it's an essential part of modern student housing.

Integrating smart technology into your housing facilities can make your residence halls feel cutting-edge. Consider:

• Keyless entry systems using smartphone apps or biometrics

• Smart thermostats for energy savings and comfort

• Internet of Things (IoT) enabled systems

• AI-powered housing portal chatbots for 24/7 student support

Arizona State University has embraced this trend with its Tooker House engineering residential community. The residence halls are fully Wi-Fi accessible, with enough bandwidth to accommodate four devices per resident.

This student housing community also offers on-site laundry facilities equipped with Bluetooth washers and dryers that alert students when their laundry cycles are complete.

Flexible and Adaptive Living Spaces

The one-size-fits-all approach to student housing is becoming obsolete. Today's students crave flexibility and personalization in their living spaces. You can cater to this need by:

• Offering a mix of room types, from traditional student dorm rooms to apartment-style units

• Providing modular furniture that students can rearrange

• Creating multi-purpose common areas that can adapt to different uses

• Designing spaces that support both individual study and group collaboration

Strong Student Resident Communities

Cultivating a strong sense of community is vital for student success and well-being. Thoughtful design can facilitate the social interactions and support systems students need to thrive.

Arranging housing for students and other facilities into walking distance "neighborhoods" fosters tight-knit university housing communities. Creating vibrant communities doesn't just require infrastructure, though; it also thrives on strong student-led programming. Empowering students to plan events and outreach initiatives gives them a sense of ownership and belonging.

Vanderbilt University's residential colleges are a prime example. Each college has faculty mentors who live on-site, host dinners, and plan activities to nurture a familial atmosphere. The stronger the bonds between residents, the more they'll feel at home.

Key Themes Informing Housing Strategy

Some key themes and considerations are appearing repeatedly as drivers in institutional strategy, according to our reading, watching and listening this year:

• Affordability: With rising tuition costs, students are increasingly price-sensitive. Look for ways to offer affordable housing options without sacrificing quality or amenities.

• Mental health support: The pandemic has highlighted the importance of mental health awareness. Consider how to integrate wellness spaces and counseling services into your offerings.

• Safety and security: Parents and students are prioritizing safety in their housing choices more than ever before. Invest in and promote your school's modern security systems and clear communication protocols when emergencies occur.

• Inclusivity: Gen Z students expect that all communities are made to feel welcome and included in the modern education environment. Ensure your housing options include considerations for diverse student populations, including international students, LGBTQ+ students, and students with disabilities.

• Advanced tech infrastructure: Having Wi-Fi and charging stations in your residence halls is no longer enough tech. Next-generation, high-speed internet, gigabit ethernet connections and video conference enabled huddle spaces are considered necessities--not luxuries-- by today's students.

• Public-private partnerships: Innovative P3 models are being explored by schools looking to finance new construction or expansion beyond their traditional budget.

Prepare for the Future of Student Housing Today

The most successful institutions are prioritizing investment in their residential communities in order to offer their students dynamic housing options that become differentiators in recruitment, retention and overall student satisfaction.

To truly differentiate your residential programs, you'll need a powerful, modern software platform that showcases your school's unique approach to housing.

Housing.Cloud is the industry's best student housing software platform, designed to help you attract more students to live on campus while simplifying operations and maximizing profitability. Our cloud-hosted tools integrate seamlessly with other campus systems, creating a smooth experience for both students and staff.

With Housing.Cloud, you can:

• Streamline the housing application process

• Optimize roommate matching and room assignments

• Manage housing inventory effectively

• Optimize billing

• And much, much more....

Don't let outdated housing software hold you back. Schedule a demo today to learn how you can transform your student housing for 2024 and beyond.