Chicago-based student housing owner and operator The Scion Group has launched its Strategic Housing Planning service, a new planning process designed to support colleges and universities to make strategically driven decisions about on-campus housing programs.

“We created this option to go beyond the limitations of a traditional single-building feasibility study by providing a complete assessment of a campus housing program,” says Jay Pearlman, Senior Vice President of Scion Advisory Services. “Significantly, for an institution not needing a full facilities condition assessment or a design exercise, a Strategic Housing Plan can provide the value of a full housing master plan at a reduced cost and in a much shorter timeframe.”

Unlike many feasibility or demand studies, which focus on a single residential facility, Scion’s service considers the needs, challenges and opportunities across a full campus housing system. “A Scion Strategic Housing Plan provides a framework for future housing investments and could serve as a key first step in evaluating the viability of alternative financing, including public-private partnerships,” added Pearlman.