[Sciencewoman]

I'm a house corp. board president. Per our national policy, all members are required to live in unless they are excused...student teaching elsewhere, study abroad, living with parents are the on the short list of approved excuses from the obligation. The chapter must pay for any empty beds.

The chapter needs to vote on a policy to ensure the house is filled, which our chapter did. So far the house has always been filled voluntarily...barely. The system is there just in case (we have 30 beds and over 125 members). There are only a couple positions that must live in...president and house manager. My daughter's Pi Phi chapter has the same officer live-in requirements. It's tricky when elections aren't held until after members have been signing leases...the current president found a sub-letter for her apartment, after she was elected.

You need some type of chapter-approved policy to make sure there is some formal means of ensuring a full house every year, and to hold members accountable for supporting the facility. Do your housing contracts early (like, now!), and remind people NOT to sign a lease elsewhere unless they know for sure that they aren't living in. I'm noticing that landlords are putting on the lease signing pressure earlier and earlier,and students are buying into that frenzy.