Dorms aren’t just for average undergraduates — the U also provides housing accommodations for students with a spouse or children.
The program, University Student Apartments, operates almost 1,100 housing units for student families located on the outskirts of campus.
“We are one of the largest programs of our kind in the nation that offers family housing,” said Rebecca Dowdell, an associate director of the organization.
Those eligible for the housing options are students who are married or in a domestic partnership, as well as single students with at least 50 percent legal custody of dependent children. The program offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that were built in the 1960s and ‘70s.
Dowdell said a priority for the organization is providing affordable rent for its tenants. Rent prices for the U’s family apartments currently range from $594 to $2,113 per month, depending on location and the amount of bedrooms.
“We have the lowest rents there are out there,” she said, comparing the group’s housings to off-campus apartment prices not affiliated with the U.
Family housing is located in the West Village, a mile south of main campus, and the East Village, a mile southeast. More units are located in the Medical Plaza Towers on upper campus.
Some of the perks of family housing include the proximity to the U and the availability of transportation (with free campus shuttles and TRAX nearby). Students can also participate in the program’s Cross Culture Club, Mom’s Club or the International Women’s Association.
Shauna Lower, director of the U’s Center for Child Care and Family Resources, said there are several childcare options available for the residents. The East Village Community Center offers care for children between the ages of five weeks and five years,with both part-time and full-time options. Fees for the amenity are levied on a sliding scale for different needs and income levels, with eligibility-based subsidies.
“Of course, student parents have priority and the lowest costs,” Lower said.
Dowdell said the program’s family housing provides a sense of community because “everybody’s facing the same problems and situations here.”
For information on pricing and availability, go to apartments.utah.edu.
@NikiVenugopal