Gender-Inclusive Housing

Stanford's diverse student body is reflected in the makeup of our residential communities. We want to ensure that your housing is a safe and comfortable place where you can be yourself. 

Gender-inclusive housing is intended for students who wish to share a room or apartment with friends of a different gender, students who do not want Student Housing to use the gender on their university record or students who are open to living with a roommate of any gender identity. It is not intended for couples who are encouraged to apply for Couples without Children Housing.

Currently, our housing assignment system assigns students to shared accommodations based on genders as they appear in the university student record which designates students as either male or female. We can guarantee that students who wish to live with a roommate who shares their gender as it appears in the university student record will be able to do so. For example, students who are female in the university system who wish to live with other female students will be assigned female roommates.

We recognize that gender identity encompasses a much wider spectrum than the male/ female binary. We are exploring ways in which our housing assignment systems can take into account the varied gender identities represented in the Stanford community. Students who indicate that they do not want us to take into account their gender identity as indicated in the university system will, whenever possible, be assigned with students who select to live with roommates of any gender identity or per the specific requests made in their housing application.

Submit Your Preferences on Your Housing Application

When submitting your housing application, you will be able to respond to questions regarding your preferences for placement within shared accommodations. You will also have an opportunity to share additional information regarding your gender identity as it relates to your roommate assignment. That information will be used in the event you are assigned to a shared accommodation with a roommate. Your responses are only accessed and used by R&DE Student Housing staff when making roommate matches.

If you were not able to enter gender-inclusive preferences on your housing application, you may file a gender-inclusive petition on Axess after you are assigned.

• Log on to Axess.
• Under the My Information tab, click on Housing & Dining.
• Select Housing & Dining Login.
• Select Forms and Petitions on the main menu.
• Select the request type Gender-Inclusive Room Assignment Request.
• Fill out the form to make your request.

Applying with a Gender-Inclusive Group

If you wish to live with a specific person, apply as a group on your housing application. Gender-inclusive housing allows friends of different gender identities to be assigned to the same apartment.

Students interested in this option should:

1. Apply for first-round of assignments in May.
2. Apply as a group with your desired group member(s), prioritizing residences where you can fill the whole apartment.
3. Indicate that you want to be assigned to a gender-inclusive apartment with your group members on your housing application.
4. If you are making your request after the application submission deadline, file the Gender-inclusive Room Assignment Request after you are all assigned to the same type of housing.
5. Graduate student room and roommate assignments after you are assigned to particular housing type.

What happens if one of the roommates cancels their assignment or leaves mid-year?

If one student cancels or leaves during the year, we will try to assign another student who is interested in living with students of any gender. The remaining student(s) can request another roommate from students who have been assigned to the same housing location. If the remaining students are no longer interested in living with students of any gender, they should contact Housing Assignments when their roommate moves out to request that the apartment revert to the gender of the remaining roommates.

Gender-inclusive Housing and Transgender Students

Transgender students who need special accommodation due gender identity/expression can either use the option available above or can additionally contact Housing Assignments to be assigned through a confidential process. Here is how Housing Assignments manages these requests:

1. The request will be handled through a confidential process and staff will not ask for more information than is required to meet students' housing needs.
2. Placement priority will be given to students who notify Housing Assignments well in advance of the annual Lottery and who require accommodations based on their gender identity/expression.
3. Later requests will be handled as appropriate spaces become available.

Housing Assignments recognizes that students are not all alike but have different needs and desires. We will address concerns on a case-by-case basis.

Roommate Conflicts

If a student has a conflict with a roommate because of their gender identity/expression, the student should first see their Graduate Life Deans who are full-time, professional staff members who have taken part in training specifically on gender identity/expression issues. Other resources available include the Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Resource Center.