There are lots of options. If you really want to live in the $450 a month house, see if you can find someone to sub-let it to for the summer. Offer them a discount, say $410 a month...or you could try and get $450. That way, you aren't really paying for it while you're away.

I assume you have no intentions of staying for the summer, but you could always just get a summer job and stay...

Say thats not an option. Check with your SU. I know mine has a website on which people can pay to advertise off-campus housing. Many of them have rooms for rent instead of entire houses, and those people are much more willing to simply rent for 8 months.

Another option is to try and become a community advisor/residence advisor or whatever the job title is exactly in residence. I know that in our residence, each floor has a second or third year student who is in charge of everything, and their res is basically paid for.

you can look for adds on kijiji and craigs list but be careful! there are a TON of scams on there. a lot of people will say they'll mail you the keys once you mail them a check. obviously don't do it!

If you go to your student association or student union they will often have listings there you can look at.

you can also look in the newspapers and renters magazines to find apartments or student houses.