CWU has experienced unprecedented enrollment growth in recent years, particularly in first-year classes. Because first-year students are required to live on campus, demand for university housing has exceeded the capacity of CWU residential facilities. Compounding the situation is a lack of available housing in the city of Ellensburg, which has a vacancy rate of about 1 percent. In the fall of 2017, CWU reached maximum capacity, which leaves little ability to respond to emergency student moves and maintenance problems in housing, lessens the capacity to host conferences and visiting students, and greatly reduces the ability of the university to conduct regular maintenance on housing facilities. In July 2017, the CWU Board of Trustees directed staff to plan and prepare to construct additional housing for students.