Taking the first step toward pushing back lease signing dates, over two dozen students, administrators and landlords gathered last night to discuss solutions to problems associated with off-Grounds housing.
Currently, many Charlottesville residential groups begin accepting contracts early in the first semester.
Student Council President Micah Schwartz and Inter-Fraternity Council President Ryan Ewalt helped organize the housing forum.
"We're trying to figure out why the system works as it does now to determine solutions," Schwartz said. "The first step to finding a solution is to have all the facts."
Many in attendance agreed that a solution would have to come from both landlords and students, who often pressure owners to offer leases early in the fall semester.
The current housing crunch is a relatively recent phenomenon, said University alumnus and Charlottesville Apartments owner John Crafaik.
In the 60s, students generally signed leases a month before classes, and in the 70s, the process moved to the spring semester, after spring break, Crafaik said.
The situation changed after the University closed its off-Grounds housing office in the early 90s as a result of budget cuts, according to Ida Lee Wootten, interim director of community relations.
Several landlords in attendance said that moving lease signing dates back would not have an adverse affect on business, as long as any such move included all the major management companies.
"In general, it really wouldn't matter what day we start because we still have the same amount of renters," Crafaik said. "Really, we hate the early date."
Before the meeting, Inter-Sorority Council President Cahill Zoeller said that the current practice of setting leasing dates in October is unfair to first years.
"It's absurd to make students decide within a month and a half of coming on Grounds who they're going to live with," she said.
The current process also hurts the Greek system, Ewalt said, adding that pushing back lease dates would make fraternities more stable financially.
"What used to happen when we had formal rush in the fall is that the pledge classes filled the houses," he said. "When dates got pushed back to the spring, first years started living with people they met instead of their pledge class."
Council Housing Committee Chair John Bailey said he was pleased with the progress made at the meeting, but said it was only the first step in a longer process.
"There is not going to be an easy answer," he said. "This will take a great deal of cooperation between students, landlords and the city."
IFC Public Relations Spokesperson Scott Cohen said it was important for student leadership to begin fulfilling campaign promises to address problems with early leasing dates.
"For student welfare in general, moving lease signings back would help everyone out," he said. "This may not be accomplished in our terms, but we're hoping to lay down a foundation for long-term changes."
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