Rural Housing

The West Virginia University Institute for Community and Rural Health provides Rural Health Initiative (RHI) student housing in communities where health sciences students conduct rural rotations. 

Housing requests are approved on a first-come, first-served basis. Non-West Virginia University students or their programs are charged a fee per week for utilization of the housing.

If you are looking for places that consistently have space available, consider requesting in Rainelle, Spencer, Grantsville, or Petersburg. We would love to approve housing in those locations! 

View Our Housing Map

Rural Housing Opportunities 2024-2025

  • County: Berkley

    • Town: Martinsburg

    • Occupancy: 13

    • Testimonial: Sept 2023 (WVU PA) - "Very spacious house, kind roommates, fast replies from Gerardo when we had any issues at all. Good location to where we need to go! Looks regularly cleaned."

  • County: Calhoun

    • Town: Grantsville

    • Occupancy: 2

  • County: Fayette

    • Town: Oak Hill

    • Occupancy: 6

    • Testimonial: Jan 2024 (UC PA) - "Love that housing is even an option. The kitchen is always well stocked with cooking supplies and the houses are always relatively clean :) maintenance response is always quick. Coordinator does an amazing job."

  • County: Grant

    • Town: Petersburg

    • Occupancy: 4

  • County: Greenbrier

    • Town: Rainelle

    • Occupancy: 3

  • County: Greenbrier

    • Town: Lewisburg

    • Occupancy: 3

  • County: Jackson

    • Town: Ripley

    • Occupancy: 6

    • Testimonial: July 2024 (WLSC PA) - "Cleanliness and security! The house was lovely and quiet. The neighbors are kind too. Overall it was great and I have no complaints. I had an amazing time and I thank you again!"

  • County: Logan

    • Town: Logan

    • Occupancy: 5

  • County: Mercer

    • Town: Princeton

    • Occupancy: 5

  • County: Mineral

    • Town: Keyser

    • Occupancy: 3

  • County: Mingo

    • Town: Gilbert

    • Occupancy: 2

  • County: Mingo

    • Town: Delbarton

    • Occupancy: 4

    • Testimonial: June 2024 (MU Med) - "I called the Housing Coodinator the day that I had the above-mentioned issues and was incredibly impressed with how quickly she responded and how helpful she was. She had a solution for me within the hour, which I was so thankful for. I wouldn’t have hesitated to reach out with any other issues, but I didn’t have any. The house had everything I needed for the week (aside from things I was expected to bring, like food and toiletries). And the fact that it had two full bathrooms was a wonderful surprise!"

  • County: Morgan

    • Town: Berkeley Springs

    • Occupancy: 2

  • County: Nicholas

    • Town: Summersville

    • Occupancy: 5

    • Testimonial: July 2024 (WVU Med) - "The whole house is beautiful and very welcoming. The kitchen and appliances are very nice. Thank you so much for creating such a comforting environment.  It makes a difference."

  • County: Ohio

    • Town: Wheeling

    • Occupancy: 4

  • County: Raleigh

    • Town: Beckley

    • Occupancy: 4

    • Testimonial: July 2024 (WVU PharmD) - "I like how there are already some basic supplies at the apartment (ex. a roll of toilet paper, paper towels, dish pods, hand soap, plastic baggies, laundry detergent, etc). This makes it so much easier, especially when students have no idea what they will be walking into. I am so grateful to be able to stay in the apartment, and I really appreciate all the work that Donna does to keep it so nice!"

  • County: Randolph

    • Town: Elkins

    • Occupancy: 2

    • Testimonial: Mar 2024 (WVSOM) - "Good communication, good resources, very close to the hospital, quiet and nice house and yard. I like that you ... were so accommodating with my ESA. I also like that you have professional cleaners every 2 weeks."

  • County: Roane

    • Town: Spencer

    • Occupancy: 5

  • County: Upshur

    • Town: Buckhannon

    • Occupancy: 7

    • Testimonial: Jan 2023 (WVSOM) - "As a student, I am incredibly grateful to have the opportunity for free housing while I am on an away rural rotation. Thank you very much for providing this service!"

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I request Rural Health Initiative housing for my clinical rotation? 

Students must request housing through their Campus Coordinator, who will submit on your behalf through Sole Tracker. Your Campus Coordinator will notify you when housing is approved.

When can I expect to receive information about my RHI housing stay? 

A Housing Coordinator will send you an Occupant Agreement at least three weeks prior to the start of your clinical rotation start date. After you sign and return the Occupant Agreement, your Housing Coordinator will email housing information, including address, entry access, WiFi info, and more.

How do I cancel my RHI housing reservation?

Please contact your Housing Coordinator and Campus Coordinator as soon as possible. Coordinators must be notified less than 7 calendar days before your rotation begins; otherwise, your reservation will be cancelled and your school/program will be responsible for a late cancellation fee, which they may pass onto you.

Will I be sharing the RHI house with people of other genders? 

All housing is co-ed. You are welcome to ask your Housing Coordinator to let you know the specific schedule after you sign and return the Occupant Agreement. If you have any special accommodation requests, please notify your Campus Coordinator and the Housing Coordinator as soon as possible.

Will I be sharing a bedroom? 

After you sign the Occupant Agreement, a Housing Coordinator can let you know if the schedule necessitates you share a bedroom.

Can I bring my dog or cat to RHI housing? 

Pets are not permitted in housing. However, your certified Service Animal (SA) or Emotional Support Animal (ESA) are welcomed with proper documentation. It may take several weeks to attain and submit the proper certification and approval, so please start the process as soon as possible. 

If you are a WVU student, please register your animal with the WVU Office of Accessibility Services by selecting register in the top right corner.

If you are a non-WVU student, please notify your intent to your Housing Coordinator as soon as possible. You will need to submit proper certification.

Where can I look at pictures of RHI housing?

Please go to: https://icrh.smugmug.com/

If you have other questions, please contact the RHI Housing Coordinators.

Southern Region Housing Coordinator