Community Colleges: A Frontier for Student Housing

PHOENIX-Think of the words “community college” and what might come to mind is the cast of the television show “Community.” Students at Greendale Community College seem to be a lot of odd folks, ranging from the mother who is trying to better herself, to a sharp-talking ex-lawyer, to a very young woman who had emotional issues and wasn’t able to attend “normal” college.

But according to panelists at the National Multi Housing Council Student Housing Conference’s “The growth in community college enrollment: An Opportunity?” community colleges are more than institutions for society’s misfits. In addition to providing a solid alternative to traditional education for millions of non-misfit types, the panelists pointed out that community colleges also provided a potential market for student housing.

How can this be? Aren’t most community college students commuter students living at home? Not necessarily, according to Larry Whitworth, the retired president from Washtenaw Community College in southeast Michigan.  Whitworth noted that 24 years is the median age of community college students, with approximately 15% of the student population 40 years of age or older. Furthermore, those 24-year-old-plus students aren’t necessarily living with mom and dad any more. The upshot? “Housing needs are critical for community college students,” Whitworth remarked.

And those community students are different than traditional college students. Whitworth pointed out that community college students could be considered 12-month tenants, while their more traditional student counterparts might be considered nine-month renters.

Washtenaw has had good success with providing critical student housing to community college students, thanks to a more than decade-long partnership with McKinley Inc., a multifamily owner and operator also in southeast Michigan. Karen Andrews, McKinley’s chief development officer, joined Whitmore on the panel, explaining how her company partnered with the community college.

“Community colleges are focused on the needs of the community, and they create programs that are linked with the needs of the community,” Andrews explained. McKinley’s mission, in the meantime, is to enhance quality of life.

But about 10 years ago, when Andrews was desperately seeking service technicians to help maintain area apartments, it was decided to “grow their own,” with Washtenaw Community College the facilitating point. An apartment technician program was created; from there, scholarships and employment opportunities were developed. As a result, when Whitworth determined housing was a need for community college students, he approached Anderson for some help. The end result was McKinley apartments being leased, with housing issues for community college students being dealt with.

Can any multifamily owner and operator forge a similar partnership with the local community college? Yes, to an extent. There needs to be a deep relationship on both sides, Andrews and Whitworth noted. Furthermore, student housing is somewhat different from standard multifamily housing – proximity to a community college campus is important, as the goal is for students to “roll out of bed and not be late to class,” according to Andrews. Finally, even with community colleges there is more than one stakeholder when it comes to forging a partnership and relationship.

Still, with the growing number of students seeking out community college educations to prepare for a four-year degree or because they didn’t accomplish much in traditional degreed programs, there is a very good potential for student housing within this growing student venue. Even the misfits at Greendale could agree with that.