I'll be moving soon (June) and temporarily (three months) into the Columbia area to do graduate work in Montessori Education at Loyola college. My dilema is this: I have searched all over the web for a way to find a cheap place to stay while I'm studying, and have found no place that offers affordable housing, or that won't charge me $20 + simply so I can find a place to sleep (Most of those options, aside from charging for a service that should be free, offer no good options). I was wondering, do any of you know of a good, free way to find cheap and temporary housing in this area? Is there a collective or commune or crash spot where I might be able to rest and do some studying (willing to work to help the place). I really need nothing more than a spot big enough to sleep in, store some books, and read quietly.
Sorry if this doesn't seem "newsworthy" but it seems like communities like ours should have resources like this to help each other. Unfortunately, I'm from the midwest, know nothing about the area, no people there, so don't know if such resources exist. Thanks for any help.
j.