Living on campus can offer many benefits to students, but not everyone can live on campus.

For those who are thinking about living off campus, USF’s department of Housing and Residential Education announced a new affiliation with the Venue at North Campus on Monday. Housing currently has affiliations with Avalon Heights, The Province, 4050 Lofts and Campus Club.

Renee Hunt, director of communications and marketing for Student Affairs, said USF’s new affiliation with the Venue comes after officials vetted the housing complex after looking to the community to help address the demand for housing on campus.

“The affiliation helps us when we have met our capacity, and we can feel comfortable with what students will experience there because we want them to have that on-campus experience,” she said.

The affiliation also allows USF to move closer to its “primary residential” categorization by the Carnegie Foundation, which allows the university to count affiliated partnerships as part of its
residential population.

The Venue, managed by Greystar Student Living, can house 734 residents at its location on 42nd Street north of campus. Amenities at the Venue include private study areas, a computer center and two swimming pools. Housing options range from one-bedroom studio apartments to five-bedroom townhomes.

Housing Communications and Marketing Director Greg Bowers said the vetting process and contract for affiliated locations require that USF-affiliated individuals be given the highest priority for renting within the property and will notify the university if the property becomes occupied by less than 75 percent of USF affiliated individuals.

Bowers said other standards set by the university include ensuring all maintenance requests from residents are answered within two days, conducting regular building and safety code inspections and more.

“This allows students to be confident living in an environment that meets certain standards set by the university,” he said.

Under the agreements, according to a press release from Student Affairs, the Housing department will refer eligible upper-class, transfer and graduate students to the five affiliated properties as alternative housing options “should the demand for on-campus space exceed the capacity.”

On-campus housing can currently provide housing for more than 5,400 students, but a Student Housing Redevelopment Project was mentioned at a USF Board of Trustees workgroup meeting earlier this month. The project could include new housing and renovations in the Andros complex that will create 2,500 new beds and “appropriate retail, dining, parking, recreational and other attractive student amenities on three possible sites.”