Affordable student housing, online elections and community relations top the Associated Students, Inc. agenda this semester.

The lack of affordable student housing around the campus is a huge concern for students and the student government alike, said ASI Press Secretary Erin Hicks.

“Seven students packed into an apartment is unacceptable,” Hicks said. ASI also provides the service of the Student Access Center (SAC). One of SAC’s functions is to connect students to affordable housing.

A study conducted by SAC revealed that most of the 98 off-campus housing options were available for students. Over 70 percent are within five miles of the campus. Only two buildings listed advertised single-bedroom apartments for less than $500 monthly (not including deposits). Thirteen buildings listed quoted figures more than $800 for a one-bedroom apartment.

Another plan ASI President Eric Guerra would like to see brought to fruition is online ASI elections.

Hicks said the start-up cost of the online elections should run between $6,000 and $8,000, and then cost $2,000 a year to maintain. Information on the exact cost of the current election system was unavailable from ASI at press time.

Hicks also said building relationships with community business leaders is a priority for ASI.

“We want to show them that they don’t have to look outside of Sacramento for employees,” Hicks said. “We have qualified people right here.”

ASI received criticism last October for proposing a $3,500 community chamber mixer. ASI’s six-member Internal Affairs committee, co-chaired by Jordan Aquino and Regina Unimuke, found the mixer to be too exclusive to benefit the student population at large and voted almost unanimously against it.

Despite California’s budget woes, Hicks said that the ASI budget is right on track, and should not be affected by the crunch.However, she said that ASI is concerned with the impact on students in general, citing the proposed 25 percent student fee increase that could take effect in the fall.

Hicks pointed to ASI’s variety of representation state-wide as a protection for students amidst the crisis. Guerra serves on the Academic Technology Advisory Committee, ASI Vice President of Finance Peter Ucovich serves on the Statewide General Education Committee and former ASI President Art Pimentel serves on the California State Student Association. All are statewide committees serving student interests.

ASI Vice President of Finance Peter Ucovich named building a stronger student voice as a prominent goal for this spring.”We need to get students to rally,” Ucovich said. “We have an advantage being so close to the Capitol, but we don’t use it to our advantage.”

Ucovich alluded to the upcoming tuition hike as an important matter that students need to voice their concern over. Ucovich is a non-voting member of the State Academic Senate, which is made up of 56 appointed faculty members from institutions throughout the state.

The Academic Senate voted near unanimously to support the Board of Trustees’ retroactive 10 percent fee hike that will hit CSU students this semester, despite Ucovich’s advising against the increase.