This past week, CCSC & ESC passed resolutions in support of adopting gender-neutral housing policy, forwarding the resolution to the Housing Advisory Board, which also approved the measure. The gender neutral housing resolution will provide students with the option of residing with an individual of the opposite sex in a double for upperclassmen next fall. CTV News spoke with Barry Weinberg of Everyone Allied Against Homophobia and Sarah Weiss, Vice President of Policy CCSC.

"Gender-neutral housing really affects two populations: One, it affects the LGBT and transgender community and maybe someone who is transitioning from male to female or female to male who identifies with a gender that is different from the one biologically given to them."

While many students applaud the attempt to provide gender-neutral housing for transgender individuals, students and administrators have expressed concerns about the policy's effect on the housing process as well as the possibility of it being used by couples who wish to live together.

"There is concern from the Housing piece about what will happen if a boyfriend and girlfriend are living together and they break up but they're living in the same room. How are they going to get out of it?" explained Sarah Weiss.

"The biggest concern that people have come up to me to to talk about is 'Will I be put in a room with someone of the opposite sex?' And that's not what the policy does at all. In regards to blind doubles when students don't enter in with a roommate but are randomly assigned a roommate, it will still be a same sex assignment. It just removes the prohibition about opposite sex people living in the same room," said Barry Weinberg.

Although many student groups had a hand in drafting the new policy, some students feel the changes will affect not them.

"Personally, it wouldnt effect me but I can see how it would definitely effect fellow classmates in that classmates who identify with different sexes would be able to be more comfortable in different bathrooms and different living spaces is obviously a priority in just making students feel more home here at Columbia."

"We're all 'young adults' and I think that each of us are able to make that decision for ourselves if we want to live with someone of the opposite sex or the same sex."

"Gender neutral housing would be a good thing, I think. If two people are friends, and they don't really have an issue with it if they're just going to live together."

Student leaders expressed their happiness in jointly working with administration and will continue to do so as they begin to educate students and implement the new policy.

"The has been really a case where the councils worked very well, the administration so far has worked very well, student groups have worked really well and really the last sort of test for this, if it is actually adopted and implemented, is how well can the student groups educate and inform the students about what has happened," Weinberg said.

Although the resolution was passed the student councils and the housing advisory board, the final decision to implement the new measure still lies with Dean Kevin Schollenberger and Vice President of Auxiliary Services Scott Wright.