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Chico State provides off-campus housing fair

Alejandro Mejia Mejia, Contributor|April 6, 2023

On March 22, students gather in the Sutter Dining Hall at Chico State for the Off-Campus Housing Fair which had multiple property managers promoting their complexes and giving gifts and steps on how to apply for housing. Photo Credit: Alejandro Mejia Mejia

Chico State hosted an off-campus housing event on March 22, where students met with apartment and property managers who promoted their housing units to help students think about their living arrangements for next school year.

The event took place in Sutter Dining Hall, where various property managers talked to students about leases, special offers and gifts for applying.

Wildcat Crossing, a nearby apartment complex, offered the first 10 students to sign a lease up to $90 off of a one-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment for the year.

The event targeted students who are having difficulty finding housing in Chico, especially since the dormitory Whitney Hall will be closed for the 2023-24 school year.

“We [Off-Campus Student Services Mission] put on the housing fair for students that are looking for off-campus housing,” said Peer Housing Navigator, Ariana Montero Pille. “Majority are freshmen that don’t know where to start, who to ask for help and just having a resource available to students.”

Whitney Hall provides housing for over 500 students. It’s closing severely limits the amount of on-campus housing.

According to Assistant Manager for Pine Tree Apartments Isaiah Venegas, the demand for housing is down this year because Chico State’s enrollment is considerably lower than usual.

“Last year and the year prior we had record-setting years [leases signed] surprisingly,” Venegas said. “This year I would say with the lower enrollment we did see a decline in the signed leases.”

For first-year student Hunter Neuenkirk, the event gave him a platform to take the next step in finding housing off-campus for him and a family member.

Before the event occurred, Chico State composed a page on its website powered by Rent College Pads, which featured apartments and properties within walking distance of campus.

The page is still being developed but will allow students to use subleases, find roommates and other unique features.

However, if students are looking to live off campus, Venegas recommends applying sooner rather than later because of the limited housing in student-centralized parts of Chico.

“We [Pine Tree Apartments] opened our applications in December for the following academic year since last year was a record-breaking year, and we were fully leased up by this time of the year,” Venegas said. “Spring break is usually the turning point where places get rented.”