The Office of Housing and Dining (spurred by the SG) is in the process of signing a contract with a company to provide a centralized resource for students looking for off-campus housing options. The SG will also offer workshops about finding off-campus housing and how to use financial aid to fund it.
Although online resources like Craigslist offer some great deals, this new resource will not only have one-stop shopping for busy students but will also offer security for students. Some landlords aren't actually legally allowed to rent. Others will refuse to rent to students, though it's hard to imagine who else would want to rent a five-bedroom house. The new service will offer students a measure of protection by weeding out these types of landlords.
It can take an entire semester of hunting for students to find convenient, affordable off-campus housing and can be particularly difficult for students who study abroad, especially in the fall semester. The length and hassle of an apartment search often drives students to expensive, obvious off-campus AU enclaves like the Berks and Tunlaw Park.
Though it's great that the SG is following through with one of SG President Ashley Mushnick's campaign platforms, apartment hunting does provide an important lesson in housing in the real world. Some students may also get lazy and assume that they can get all of the information they need about off-campus housing from the new resource, which probably isn't true.
All in all, it's nice that AU students will finally benefit from a service that Georgetown and GW students already have.
