Students looking for off-campus housing may have an easier time after a local apartment complex lifted its policy of not allowing co-signers on applications.

Fairlake Apartments, located on Howe Avenue only a few miles from campus, reversed the policy this month, according to information provided by the complex. Originally adopted with a number of other complexes in the Sacramento area over the summer, the policy was widely criticized by student advocates, since many students don?t typically have the monthly income required for rental agreements.

Students are now able to have a co-signer when they sign a 12-month lease at Fairlake. Management declined to comment any further on the decision.

Associated Students, Inc. President Artemio Pimentel said the new policy is a positive step for students. The availability of off-campus housing directly impacts other issues on campus, he said.

“This new policy has a huge effect on campus life; it?s great to have students live close to school,” Pimentel said. “ASI is trying to pressure the other nearby apartment complexes to change their policies, because housing is a problem here.”

Other area complexes still carry the no co-signers policy, said Sacramento Rental Housing Association Director of Government Affairs Richard Perry. Despite the direct effect the decision has on students, he said the policy was not focused on students, but rather financial concerns.

“The no co-signer decision was probably not aimed at the students, but at market activity instead-the market is just getting tighter in an attractive rental area,” Perry said.

Senior Nathan Loyd said he and his two roommates would not be able to get into any apartment complex if not for Fairlake?s new policy.

“An apartment search company told us that complexes no longer accept co-signers and that would be hard, because as students my roommates and I would not be able to sign the lease,” Loyd said. “Fairlake now accepts co signers, however, you have to sign a year-long lease, which is a pretty long time.”

The lack of apartments in the campus community closely affects a number of university-wide problems, Pimentel said. These include admissions and parking concerns.

“When a student can?t find an apartment nearby, they may decide to stay in their local hometown community instead and attend a junior college, since there was no housing available to them in the area,” Pimentel said. “The housing crunch not only effects admissions, but also adds to our parking problem.”

Pimentel believes that parking becomes more of a problem with the housing crunch since more students are forced to live farther away and, therefore, drive to school.

“When students drive to school, it adds to the parking problem, and also to a pollution problem,” Pimentel said. “However, one of the biggest issues is that there isn?t much campus life, and the fact that students need to drive out as far as Rancho Cordova hinder our activities here on campus.”

Pimentel stated that the University has plans to build a new residence hall, hopefully completed by the year 2004. The halls would be located close to the Guy West Bridge, and would house 1000 students.

“The University did not see the huge influx of students coming this year,” Pimentel said. “We definitely have an issue in our hands”

Pimentel and other ASI board members are working to ensure the housing crunch will not affect prospective Sacramento State students.

“In the future, I am hoping we can offer Hornet Express shuttle services to apartment complexes that are further away,” Pimentel said.