The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2 - 81

Public-Private Partnerships in College Student Housing

ing, coordination, and communication, which
made the everyday work of residence hall staff
more complex. Once the housing was brought
on line, there needed to be frequent meetings
and conversations with Colonnade and, as one
resident director assigned to the PPP related,
"I can't just make a decision about what's
going to happen here. I have to go and talk to
them." The unique policies and administrative

Since the PPP housing was built,
high-end apartment options
have saturated the off-campus
housing market, compelling
Colonnade to more aggressively
market to students.

processes involved with the PPPs occasionally
produced tension between ASU and Colonnade staff. For example, the resident director
noted that Colonnade preferred buildings at
100% occupancy and strongly discouraged
lease-breaking. As a result, the resident director was not easily able to relocate someone in
the event of conflict. This can be taxing on
both the housing staff and students: "Let's
think about the students that are really paying
the price here and living in a situation where
they're not comfortable, where they're not
wanted, or where they don't even go home [to
their apartment] because the environment is

so bad and there's nothing we can do to help."
Although the regional manager of Colonnade
emphasized they are not motivated by money,
they agreed frustrations sometimes emerged
due to differences between the "Colonnade
way" and "ASU way" of operating. When
questions or problems arise, students are not
always clear whether they should speak to the
housing department or Colonnade, and many
misunderstand that they signed a lease, which
carries different rules and restrictions compared a traditional housing agreement.
The evolving college student housing landscape. While ASU considered its publicprivate partnerships successful, the housing
landscape has changed and new challenges
loom on the horizon. ASU initiated its public-private partnerships in what the principal
owner of Colonnade called the first five years
of a 20-year wave. During this time, according
to the former assistant vice president for asset
management, it was "much easier to make
the numbers work." Furthermore, there was
little competition from off-campus providers,
meaning ASU enjoyed high student demand.
However, the state university system has
become skeptical of PPPs and instituted a moratorium on their use after a particularly bad
experience at another campus in the system.
Since the PPP housing was built, high-end
apartment options have saturated the off-campus housing market, compelling Colonnade to
more aggressively market to students. ASU's
housing department has explicitly shifted its
attention to housing students in their first two
years, seeing their market niche as providing
a traditional residence hall experience. These
changes may introduce new tensions or exacerbate existing tensions in coming years.

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The Journal of College and University Student Housing - Volume 43, No. 2

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