The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2 - 89

ACUHO-I Construction and Renovation Data

In a change from earlier trends, the percentage of double-occupancy bedrooms in new buildings surpassed single-occupancy bedrooms, reflecting the move away from apartments where single-occupancy bedrooms are more common .

DISCUSSION
The results of the survey provide insights into construction and renovation costs, housing preferences, and trends throughout the nation. Based on the types of new housing reported, as well as on many of the major renovation projects, it is clear that during the period studied institutions targeted freshmen more than they did upper division students. Construction shifted from apartments in earlier iterations of the survey to focus mainly on building suites and modified traditional halls. In a change from earlier trends, the percentage of doubleoccupancy bedrooms in new buildings surpassed single-occupancy bedrooms, reflecting the move away from apartments where singleoccupancy bedrooms are more common. These trends suggest an interest in building community (double-occupancy rooms and fewer apartments) while at the same time increasing privacy (bathrooms shared by fewer students). In another shift in trends, the use of tax exempt revenue bonds decreased for new construction projects. Also, since 2004, the use of private developer financing dropped from nearly 10% to 0% for reported projects. It is unclear whether changes in financing reflect a gradual tightening of the credit markets or merely reflect the projects for which CHOs had sufficient data to submit to the survey. Institutions reported that one of the main reasons for constructing or renovating residence halls was to meet the needs and interests of students, especially their desire for more privacy. Privately owned, off-campus apartment complexes that cater to student preferences and offer a continual supply of appealing amenities are developing rapidly and often are located

Most respondents stated that renovations were intended to update the facilities (83.1%) and to meet the needs and interests of students (57.6%). The facilities that were renovated most often served freshmen (26.1%) or non-freshman undergraduates (sophomores, juniors, and seniors) (17.0%). Prior to renovation, the majority of facilities consisted of traditional rooms (56.7%). Following renovation, there were fewer traditional rooms (50.0%) and more suites. Altering traditional facilities to provide more privacy in bedrooms and bathrooms is consistent with expressed design decisions for new construction. Renovation projects lasted an average of 20 weeks, and 74.4% of projects were completed without interruption. Almost one-third (32.8%) of rehabilitation and modified rehabilitation projects included an increase in the facility’s rental rate following renovation. Additionally, funding for these two types of projects was provided mainly by reserve funds (47.5%), tax exempt revenue bonds (32.2%), and operating funds (20.3%). Institutions were responsible for the debt for 92.3% of debt financed.

V o l u m e 3 6 , No. 2 • 2 0 1 0

The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 36, No. 2