Gender Neutral Housing-Housing and Dining Services - Room Selection - Carnegie Mellon University

Gender Neutral Housing

Gender neutral housing is a program in the Oakland Community Apartments that permits upper-class male and female residents to reside in the same room. 

Gender neutral housing is an option available to residents who select assignments in the following Oakland Apartment buildings for the 2013–2014 academic year:

  • Fairfax Apartments
  • Webster Apartments
  • Shady Oak Apartments
  • Shirley Apartments
  • Neville Apartments

More information about gender neutral housing

  • Residents can select the gender neutral housing option through the retention/pull-in process, through the Block Housing process (for groups of 6 or more), or through General Room Selection (if apartments are still available, and must be selected in person with a Housing and Dining Services representative.)  Unlike the other Room Selection options listed, Gender Neutral housing is not a separate phase of Room Selection, but rather an option that can be selected through various phases.
  • Gender neutral housing is limited to available empty apartments in Fairfax, Neville, Shady Oak, Shirley and Webster.  Once all empty apartments in these buildings are filled, the gender neutral housing option will no longer be available. Under no circumstances will a half-filled apartment be converted into gender neutral housing space by Housing and Dining Services.
  • Block Housing applicants considering Gender Neutral Housing should make their Block Leader aware of their choise, and should provide the Block Leader with a signed copy of the Gender Neutral Housing Financial Responsibility Agreement.  This will allow the Block Leader to make co-ed assignments during Block Housing Selection.  If these forms are not presented, co-ed assignments will not be permitted.
  • Residents considering gender neutral housing as an option should be familiar with the Gender Neutral Housing Financial Responsibility Agreement.  In signing this form, you and your roommates agree to maintain 100% occupancy in the apartment for the academic year and assume financial responsibility for any vacancies that may open up mid-year.  The cost of the vacancy will be split amongst the remaining residents and billed directly to their student account.  This could have a serious financial impact, so please be sure to consider this carefully.
  • Students considering Gender Neutral Housing for General Room Selection should contact the Room Assignments staff to indicate interest and for further information.  Gender Neutral/Co-ed housing options will NOT automatically be available through the online Room Selection process.


Financial Responsibility for Gender Neutral Vacancies

  • Students who select a gender neutral housing assignment should understand that they will be held financially responsible for any vacancies that open up within the apartment during the course of the year.  Students will be given the option of paying for the vacancies (the cost will be split among the remaining residents), pulling in a new roommate of their choosing, or converting the room back to a single gender apartment, based on the gender of the remaining resident(s).  If a male and a female remain in the apartment following a cancellation, those remaining roommates must either pull-in a new roommate of their choosing, coordinate a room change with the Room Assignments staff for one of the two residents, or accept the financial responsibility for the cost of the vacancy. 
  • Random roommates will NOT be assigned to any Gender Neutral apartments under any circumstances.