As early as the end of this semester, students may be exploring their housing options in a new and simpler way by visiting just one location, the Off-Grounds Housing office.
Student Council members said they hope to offer students leasing options, roommate mediation, housing information and legal advice all under one roof by the end of this semester.
Student Council representatives Marisa Nelson and Greg Moore presented their plans for the office to the Board of Visitors student affairs and athletics committee Friday afternoon in order to garner more support for their project.
According to Moore, Council has had the Board's general support since October but this meeting helped to clarify the new office's goals.
Board members "were very interested and very supportive," Moore said. "It's a joint collaboration at this point."
University Rector Gordon F. Rainey said the office would be a useful resource for students.
"I think it's an excellent idea," Rainey said. "They have worked very hard on it."
In addition to the Board, other administrators are involved with the new project as well. Associate Dean of Students Bill Ashby has already designated office space for the off-Grounds housing office on the fourth floor of Newcomb Hall.
Council members also are working in conjunction with the vice president for student affairs office on a budget which Moore said will be completed next month. The office will be funded primarily by the Student Activities Fund, much like Student Legal Services is now.
Moore added that it usually takes a year or two to get enough support to open a new office, but due to the overwhelming support Council has received from the administration the off-Grounds housing office will open relatively soon.
"We're still in the very beginning of this," Moore said. "But the thing that is so exciting is that we have so much support and this office will be open May 1."
In fact, Nelson and Moore only recently initiated the planning efforts for the up-and-coming off-Grounds housing office last semester by writing and sponsoring a bill about the need for such an office.
According to the University's Institutional Assessment and Studies Office, about 65 percent of students live in off-Grounds housing controlled by private landlords.
Given this large percentage, coupled with the new zoning ordinances that the Charlottesville City Council passed in September which allow for greater population densities, many Council members have pressed for this new off-Grounds housing office in order to alleviate some of the pressure on students.
Nelson, who serves on the Council Housing Committee, said she thinks there is too much hype in the off-Grounds housing market. She said she hopes that by consolidating the lease dates and availability to one central location, students will be better informed and feel less pressure to hurry and sign.
"It is true if you wait, you may not get your dream house, but you will definitely get something that will work for you," she said.
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