Interest Based Housing is offered to all our incoming students. Reed recognizes that marginalized groups are often expected to live within communities that do not represent them, their culture, or their identity. Through Interest Based Housing, students explore their identity, learn about challenges faced by our marginalized groups on campus, and create friendships and community based in healing and allyship. You can apply for interest based housing within the Housing Portal when you apply for on campus housing.
These communities have traditionally been housed in Trillium, but communities assignments could change year over year to accomodate enrollment fluctuations and community desires.
We currently offer two Interest Based Housing communities:
Students of Color Community
This community is for students who identify as, strongly resonate with, or have a strong interest in understanding the identities and lived experiences of students of color at Reed. Students will have the opportunity to grow community with each other and support one another throughout the academic year. Students will decide as a collective how else they want to experience community together - this could be through shared meals, shared housing items, or hosting events. Each year, the community will decide how they want to shape their communal experience in conjunction with their house adviser and area coordinator.
Queer Collective
This community is for students who identify as (however individually defined), strongly resonate with, or have a strong interest in understanding the identities and lived experiences of queer students at Reed. Community members will be able to discuss regularly how queer idenitities may be supported, neglected, affirmed, celebrated and/or impacted during your first year at Reed. While all housing at Reed is gender inclusive, the Queer Collective is an addtional space to engage in discussion, support, community and overall live in a safe space that encourages full expression of gender identity. Students will decide as a community how they want to engage with each other and this living option, this could be through projects, art, shared meals, or weekly discussions. Each year, the community will decide how they want to shape their communal experience in conjunction with their house adviser and area coordinator.