Universities across the U.S. continue to see outsized demand for housing. Between college students seeking the on-campus experience and a shortage of affordable housing off campus, higher ed staff have to act quickly and get creative to meet the demand.
Sometimes the solution is straightforward, like adding beds to rooms. Other strategies — such as moving students around mid-year to fast track renovations — involve more complicated logistics. No matter how you approach the student housing crisis, one thing is guaranteed: You’ll need to adjust your key control practices. By planning ahead for your changing key management needs, you’ll help avoid frustrating process failures and dangerous security breaches.
Let’s look at a few examples of how universities are navigating the housing shortages. If you’re considering a similar approach, factor in the appropriate key control response.
To make room for more students, some campuses are maximizing the space they already have. Between 2014 and 2024, California State University added more than 17,000 new beds, with another 5,600 under construction.
Plus, the university is following a systemwide housing plan, which includes utilizing existing housing to increase capacity. This approach includes converting double-occupancy rooms into triples or repurposing residence hall lounges into dorm rooms.
Key Control Response: Determine how many additional keys you’ll need to assign and manage. If necessary, increase your existing key control system’s capacity.
Campuses that expect to see sustained growth are constructing new housing facilities. Portland University, for instance, is investing $85 million into a new housing complex expected to open in Fall 2028, adding 550 beds for students.
Key Control Response: As your campus grows, scale your key control accordingly. Consider using the same electronic key management solution in all residence halls so you can manage access from a central location.
Providing temporary off-campus housing can work as a stopgap measure. For example, East Tennessee State University placed about 110 students in nearby hotels, with a shuttle service running students to and from campus.
Key Control Response: Collaborate with your fleet manager to resolve any fleet key control challenges. Electronic key management addresses many of the issues that interfere with students’ access to reliable transportation. For example, managers can restrict key access to authorized users, assign keys to drivers, track mileage to avoid vehicle misuse, and stay on top of vehicle maintenance.
Whether your solution to the student housing crisis involves permanent changes to your campus or temporary workarounds, consider how you’ll adjust your key control practices. With a proactive approach, you can steer clear of process breakdowns, sidestep security pitfalls, and provide students with the positive college experience they’re anticipating.
This post was originally published in 2022 and updated in 2026.