Housing fair to be held in Alumni Hall

Students will be able to ask questions, see photos and talk to leasing agents from more than 100 different housing complexes Wednesday as part of the annual housing fair to be held in the Indiana Memorial Union's Alumni Hall. \nThe event, sponsored by the Indiana Daily Student, is designed to give students a chance to evaluate a variety of housing options in one place, said Amy Swain, advertising director for the IDS.\n"The housing market in Bloomington has just exploded in the last four to five years," she said. "There's a myriad of choices out there and anything we can do to help make that decision, we're willing to do."\nThroughout the fair, students will be able to compare housing options based on price, location and amenities, and can ask questions or give comments to leasing agents who will be on-site to represent the properties. \n"Housing's a big choice; it can effect so many things in your life, so making a good choice is important," Swain said. "Sometimes you make lifelong friends from your neighbors." \nThe event began 10 years ago to fill a void in the community, and has grown yearly since, said Susan Elkins, business manager of the IDS and a staff member of 29 years. Last year, 1,300 students attended the fair. \n"(Before the fair) there wasn't a center place for everyone to come and look at houses," Elkins said. "(The housing fair) brought you into a place to see what everybody had available ... From (the) advertiser's standpoint to (the) student's standpoint, it's a win-win situation." \nMichelle Fulford, property manager for Fountain Park Apartment Regency Management Service, said her company participates because of the greater name recognition and ability to reach students. \n"It's a lot of fun. You get to meet so many people," she said. "It actually gives us a lot of coverage for undergrads, and it's just basically to be there and to show our support at IU."\nThe housing fair begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. Wednesday. For more information, visit www.idsnews.com/housing.