Washington State University Vancouver (WSUV) is one of six campuses in the Washington State University System. It started as an upper-division transfer school, but in 2006, it began to admit first-year students. With the influx of first-and second-year students and the desire to draw students from out of the area and from out of state, the University has explored the need for campus housing. Scion conducted a feasibility assessment in 2011 and found that demand was insufficient to support a new housing project. But in 2023, the University revisited the option to develop student housing and a student union at the same time. Sites for a residence hall and student union are identified in the campus master plan.
Scion conducted a Student Housing Study in the Fall of 2023 and included a financial analysis. Currently, most of the 2,700 enrolled students commute up to one hour each way to school. Local rents continue to increase with low vacancy rates and a growing population. If a student can find rental housing, the costs are often prohibitively expensive.
The study found demand for a 200-bed residence hall at housing rates that are acceptable to students. This is lower than the 300 beds the site can accommodate, but the financial analysis determined that a 200-bed project is feasible while still aligning with the University’s objectives and goals. As of August 2024, the University has yet to decide whether to move forward to develop on-campus housing.