Large bunch of mostly graduates and professionals in our 20s seek roommate who is laid back, respectful of the house community and either a full-time professional or student.

Or, perhaps:

Group of dancers, laughers, workers and gardeners who enjoy celebrating life and cooking meals for each other four nights a week, seek a 23-year and older non-smoker who is positive, productive, down to share house meals and house beautification.

These listings are only a tiny portion of the increasing number of classifieds on Craigslist. Students and parents, single and attached, part-time employees and full-time professionals, all of whom have been affected by the recession, are looking for inexpensive rooms and roommates to fill them. People are spending less, and less often. The housing industry, which took a large hit at the end of last year, has increased its role in students’ lives.

Misao Oki has been looking for someone to sublet her room for the summer.

“It’s so difficult to find someone,” she said. “There’s so much competition with everyone else leaving this summer.”

According to Catherine Palpallatoc, director of Off Campus Housing Affairs (OCHA), her job hasn’t been that slow because there are always students who are in need of housing. However, she has seen concern expressed about the price of housing.

“Affordability has always been a priority for college students, but now I see it verbalized by more students that come in,” Palpallatoc wrote in an e-mail.

OCHA is a student-run program that offers the UW community free services to help find off-campus housing opportunities and housing-related resources, such as where to find housing and lease options.

Palpallatoc has witnessed several changes within the housing market.

“I am starting to see more homeowners coming in to see if they can rent out their basements or the rooms in their homes so that they can get generate extra income from the space that they have available,” she said. “We have also seen more parents coming in asking for alternatives to the residence halls. Parents are definitely becoming more conscious on how to spend their money.”

This awareness has led parents and students alike to be more conscious about the cost of living.

Prospective tenants are looking for ways to find cheaper rent, like renting a larger house, since houses are usually cheaper per person than an apartment, or living outside the city limits, as housing tends to be cheaper outside of Seattle.

“Falling housing prices has allowed me to rent a house cheaper than living in a sorority,” said Niki Kahle, a UW junior who is renting a house in Greenwood with five friends during autumn quarter.

Kahle wanted a place that had more space and cost at least $200 less than what she was currently paying.

During this recession, the promise of a job with a comfortable wage is not available to everyone. For people who are unable to pay rent, she advised students to speak with their landlords.

See if you can try to pay in weekly increments rather than one lump sum,” she said. “If you are able to work out a plan, make sure that you get it in writing. Make sure that this written document shows that the landlord is accepting partial payment and that he or she will not follow through with eviction proceedings.”

UW students can file for a short-term loan for up to $2,000. Although there is no interest, students must pay a $30 processing fee no matter how much you borrow, Palpallatoc said. Students should pay back the loans in full during the following quarter.

Palpallatoc advised people to be aware of all of the financial responsibilities that they will have.

“Know what utilities you’re paying for, how much the deposit is, what requirements you need to fulfill in order to have the deposit returned to you, if there are any additional fees and what they entail,” she said. “A deposit is different from a fee because a deposit means that the money will be returned to you. A fee is non-returnable.”

She also emphasized the importance of understanding the lease, especially before signing it, and to note any changes made to the lease in writing.

Reach special sections editor Nicole Ciridon at specials@dailyuw.com.