Special Living Accommodations
Family Housing
University Housing provides both furnished and unfurnished two- and three-bedroom apartments at Cougar Village. Proof of marriage, civil union legally recognized in Illinois, domestic partnership or proof of minor dependent children must be provided.
Residents with Disabilities
University Housing facilities are accessible to students with disabilities. Each living area has living units available specially designed for students with disabilities and meet the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Campus bus transportation is provided by Madison County Transit (MCT). These buses are wheelchair accessible.
Students with disabilities needing accommodations are asked to indicate their needs on the University Housing Application. Reasonable accommodations will be made for any student documenting a disability.
Emotional Support Animals (ESA)
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) recognizes the importance of, and need for “Emotional Support Animals” (ESA) pursuant to the Fair Housing Act. ESAs provide emotional support that alleviates one or more identified symptoms or effects of an individual’s disability. Although it is the policy of SIUE that individuals are generally prohibited from having animals of any type in University Housing, SIUE will consider a request by an individual with a disability for a reasonable accommodation to allow an ESA that is necessary because of a resident’s disability. However, no ESAs are permitted in University Housing prior to approval by ACCESS and University Housing and prior to required documentation being submitted for approval. Students who wish to pursue the need for an ESA in their living unit should contact ACCESS at myaccess@siue.edu or 618-650-3726 to begin the process.
Domestic Partnerships and Civil Unions
To qualify for Domestic Partnership Housing, two people (one must be either SIUE student/faculty/staff) need to be in accordance with the following criteria:
- Must be each other’s sole domestic partner and intend to remain so indefinitely.
- Neither can be married or in a civil union.
- Each must be at least 18 years of age and mentally competent to consent to contract.
- May be not related by blood to a degree of closeness which would prohibit legal marriage (in the state in which you legally reside).
- Must be jointly responsible for each other’s common welfare and share financial obligations. This may be demonstrated by the existence of three (3) of the following items.
- Domestic Partnership Agreement (legal document obtained from attorney)
- Joint mortgage or lease
- Designation of domestic partner as beneficiary for life insurance
- Designation of domestic partner as beneficiary for retirement contract
- Designation of domestic partner as primary beneficiary in student/faculty/staff will or of student/faculty/staff in domestic partner’s will
- Durable property and healthcare powers of attorney
- Joint ownership of a motor vehicle
- Joint checking account
- Joint credit account
If you and your partner meet the above criteria and are interested in domestic partnership housing, complete the family housing application and domestic partnership statement, and submit required supporting documents to the Central Housing Office. Please contact the Central Housing Office at 618-650‑3931 or housing@siue.edu for more information or questions.
Transgender Housing
A transgender student looking for a supportive living arrangement in University Housing should contact the Central Housing Office at 618-650‑0546 or housing@siue.edu. Due to limitations in available housing options, there is no guarantee that all of the student’s preferences can be met, but we are committed to working with the student to find the best possible accommodations.
Housing assignments for transgender students are guided by the following values:
- Respect for and affirmation of the student’s gender identity and/or expression.
- Prioritized attention to the student’s physical safety and emotional health.
- Enhance the student’s opportunity for success at SIUE by finding the best match between the student’s needs and the options available.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does transgender mean?
The National Center for Transgender Equality (NCTE) defines transgender people as “people whose gender identity is different from the gender they were thought to be at birth.”
What does it mean to be transgender?
NCTE also gives additional context of: “When we're born, a doctor usually says that we're [intersex,] male or female on what our bodies look like. Most people who were labeled male at birth turn out to actually identify as men, and most people who were labeled female at birth grow up to be women. But some people's gender identity – their innate knowledge of who they are – is different from what was initially expected when they were born. Most of these people describe themselves as transgender.
“A transgender woman lives as a woman today, but was thought to be male when she was born. A transgender man lives as a man today, but was thought to be female when he was born. Some transgender people identify as neither male nor female, or as a combination of male and female. There are a variety of terms that people who aren't entirely male or entirely female use to describe their gender identity, like non-binary or genderqueer.
(Note: NCTE uses both the adjectives “male” and “female” and the nouns “man” and “woman” to refer to a person’s gender identity.)
What is gender identity?
Gender identity describes the gender with which a person identifies (e.g. whether one uses man, woman, non-binary,or with more individualized terminology to describe oneself). It is often referred to as an individual’s internal or psychosocial sense of gender. Gender identity may or may not differ from one's legal sex which is often assigned at birth based on biological characteristics. Some states allow for gender markers to be updated or even allow for a non-binary gender marker X option. Gender expression refers to the way people feel most comfortable expressing gender identity, often made socially visible through behavior, language and clothing. For some people pronouns are an important part of affirming their gender.
In linguistics, pronouns are words that are used in substitute of a noun or phrase. Instead of using a person’s name, you may use a pronoun – and knowing someone’s pronoun is just like learning what name to call them.
Example of pronouns include:
- he/him/his
- she/her(s)
- they/them/their(s)
- ae/em/aers
- zie/zir(s)
NCTE shares:
“Everyone—transgender or not—has a gender identity. Most people never think about what their gender identity is because it matches their sex at birth.
“Being transgender means different things to different people. Like a lot of other aspects of who people are, like race or religion, there's no one way to be transgender, and no one way for transgender people to look or feel about themselves. The best way to understand what being transgender is like is to talk with transgender people and listen to their stories.”
Statement on Diversity
University Housing is committed to engaging students in educational experiences in an open, civil and respectful climate that will prepare them for global citizenship and lifelong learning.
Gender-Inclusive Housing
Gender-inclusive housing is housing in which members of any gender live together in a living unit/apartment. This option is offered only to upperclass students. If you are interested in gender-inclusive housing, please contact the Central Housing Office at 618-650‑3931 or housing@siue.edu for more information and availability.
