Hi Student Organization Leaders,
Each year, Campus Living & Residential Education (CLRE) offers a unique living experience to selected groups of undergraduate students to live together in our Affinity spaces in District House. We invite you and your student organization to consider an Affinity space in your housing plans for the 2022-2023 academic year. The application to request a District House Affinity for your group is now open.
What are Affinity spaces?
Affinity spaces are located on the north and south ends of District House and provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students with shared interests to live and engage together. Each unit has a shared kitchen space, laundry machines, common space, and beds for 16-20 students. More information about our Affinity spaces, including visuals of what Affinities look like, are available on our website and via a virtual tour.
Our most successful Affinity groups in the past have had a clear shared interest. Your “shared interest” can be a club/organization, identity, or other common interest that a group of people have and want to share with each other in a living space. If sharing a living space together is an important part of your group’s ability to grow your shared interest together, an Affinity space is a great option to consider for the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year.
Our interest is piqued! A group of us is interested in living in a District House Affinity. What do we do?
Organizations/groups who are interested in applying for an Affinity space should follow the steps below:
1. Select an Affinity Liaison
- For 2022-2023, each Affinity will select a liaison to be the primary contact person for the District House Community Coordinator team. The liaison will receive a $1,000 housing rate reduction per semester.
- The expectations for the Affinity Liaison are: (1) Live in the assigned Affinity unit; (2) Meet with a District House Community Coordinator on a bi-weekly basis to discuss your affinity group’s experience; (3) Support the planning of affinity meetings or programs as needed, in collaboration with the affinity members and a District House Community Coordinator; (4) Support the creation of the shared Affinity Agreement, in collaboration with the affinity members and a District House Community Coordinator; and (5) Share affinity information and updates from a District House Community Coordinator and/or Campus Living & Residential Education as needed.
2. Complete an Affinity Application
- Each Affinity application should be submitted by the selected Affinity Liaison on behalf of the organization/group via the Campus Living eServices Portal during the identified application period
- The Affinity Liaison will be asked to submit a statement about their plans on using the Affinity space as part of their application.
- The Affinity Liaison will need to prepare a tentative roster of organization/group undergraduate student members who have indicated their interest in living in the affinity space. The submitted roster will need to fill at least 75% of the unit (ie: at least 12-16 undergraduate students)
- If any portion of your application is not completed by the Affinity Application Deadline, it will not be considered and you will have to try again next year if your group is interested.
3. Receive the Decision!
- On March 31, we will inform each affinity liaison whether their group has been selected or not selected to live together in an Affinity unit.
- If selected, Affinity Liaisons will need to provide their final roster to CLRE by April 4 to secure the group’s until for next year. The roster will need to be filled to at least 75% capacity with residents who have confirmed they will live with the affinity group next year.
If Affinity Living is something that you are interested in and considering, now is the time to start that discussion with your friends and classmates!
CLRE is excited to continue to host organizations and groups in our Affinity spaces for the 2022-2023 academic year. If you have any questions about what Affinity living is like before deciding to apply don’t hesitate to reach out to CLRE Assistant Director Jeff Tilson at jtilson@gwu.edu.
Good luck to all groups interested in this shared living experience!
Campus Living & Residential Education
