Looking for off campus housing

<p>Hello,
I am interested in looking for a HTS to share near the university, and I have a couple of questions.
1. How do students normally find off campus housing when they are not using the off campus housing website? Unless you been lucky finding housing on the website multiple times.
2. I was told that we can use the stafford loan to pay for the rent how is this possible?
3. When is the perfect time to start looking for housing?I want to have a place in mind before students who been accepted have a chance</p>

<p>Thank you for taking your time to read this.</p>