After more than a year of student petitions, gender-neutral housing is an option for Grand Valley State University students living on-campus, but according to the GVSU Housing Department, it can’t yet be classified as a success.

Andy Beachnau, director of Housing and Health Services, said it would take about a year or two to determine if gender-neutral housing is successful. The option, announced last fall and being implemented for the first time for the 2012-13 academic year, allows students to live with members of the opposite sex if they choose. Students must opt in to gender-neutral housing to be assigned a roommate of the opposite sex.

Anna Fisk, grant coordinator at GVSU’s LGBT Resource Center, said she thinks the new housing will benefit all GVSU students, regardless of whether they choose to live in gender-neutral housing.

“We are working towards making campus, the campus climate more inclusive and accepting for those who identify with LGBT and all students,” Fisk said.

Students can now sign up for the gender-neutral housing option on the GVSU housing application, which allows them to self-identify as male, female or transgender. The campaign for gender-neutral housing began after LGBT students reported large numbers of roommate conflicts due to their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Beachnau said he wants housing at GVSU to be a positive experience for students.

“I think it’s important to be supportive of all students in their housing options,” he said, adding that about 20 upperclassmen have signed up for gender-neutral housing so far.

Most students selecting the option chose to live in the South Apartments, but Housing will find out in June whether incoming freshmen are also opting for gender-neutral housing.

Beachnau said almost every state university in Michigan, as well as many universities around the country, have started offering the gender-neutral housing option.

“It provides options for students who felt they did not have options,” Beachnau added.

While he said it is too early to pass judgement on the success of the option, Beachnau said he has not had any formal complaints about the new housing option.

“It is a reflection on students and the supportive culture at Grand Valley,” he said.

Fisk also said she has not heard any complaints about gender-neutral housing.

“I have faith in our campus community that we’re moving toward a more inclusive framing of prominent issues,” Fisk said.

For more information about gender-neutral housing, visit www.gvsu.edu/housing.

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