Shortage of student accommodation in Europe
Norway receives more and more international students, but does not have enough student accommodation. Other European countries are also struggling to offer their students a place to live.
Last weekend the European Students´ Union (ESU) held their general assembly in Brusno, Slovakia. Here Olav Øye, leader of the Norwegian Association of Students (StL), was chosen as a member of ESU’s Executive Committee. Besides Øye, the committee consists of four representatives from student organizations in Latvia, Portugal, Romania and Iceland. From July onwards, this team will run and coordinate the European students’ movement for a year. They will develop and strengthen student organizations, hold courses and conferences for European students and do lobbying work in the European Commission.
At the general assembly at the weekend, StL raised amongst other things the issue concerning the growing number of international students in Norway, and the fact that the country does not have enough student accommodation. Øye points out that an insufficient amount of student housing is a problem for other European countries as well, for example France, Ireland and Malta. He thinks that if the government wants more international students, they should spend more money on student housing.
– Norway does not have enough student housing, and in the last few years, the rental prices have increased more than the financial support that students receive. Many students have to rent on the private market, and pay more. If you do not speak Norwegian, then finding somewhere to live is even more difficult, says Øye.
Protests in France
Claire Guichet, who is responsible for student housing in the French student organization Fage, says that the goal in 2004 was that 10 per cent of students in France should have to possibility of getting into public student accommodation by 2014. Today just six per cent on a national basis have been given housing and in Paris the share is under one per cent.
– Rent is more expensive in Paris, especially for private student accommodation. Private companies are competing with the public sector when it comes to building housing for students. In return, there are no criteria one must fulfill in order to live in private student housing, as there are in public student housing. The bigger the grant a French student receives, the more likely it is that they will get a place in public student housing. The size of the grant is dependent upon factors such as whether you have any siblings who are students, how much your parents earn, and the distance between the family residence and the place of study, says Guichet.
25 per cent of the public student housing is reserved for foreign students, while French students can use the remaining 75 per cent. The independent organization «Jeudi Noir», which means «Black Thursday», often goes to the media and protests about the housing situation for students in France. Last autumn some students also took action against poor living conditions during the widespread blockades on French universities, which were in protest against a new education law.
A European problem
It is not just in France that this is a problem. In Dublin, students look for housing during the summer, but are unable to find a place to live before the semester starts, according to Peter Mannion, National Education Officer at Union of Students in Ireland (USI).
– Many students have to live in hostels, whilst others have to compete with non-students to get flats in the city, he says.
This month USI succeeded in persuading the government to take a closer look at the availability of cheap student accommodation. A «Steering Group» has been put together, and they will hold their first meeting this week.
Matthew Agius, Secretary General at Kunsill Ta’ L-Istudenti Universitaiji in Malta, says that Malta also has difficulties offering enough housing for international students.
– Malta is a small country with a high population density. Finding room for enough student housing is a big challenge for us, he says.
Housing is a main demand
One of the three main demands that StL has sent the government this spring, is that 1000 new student residences should be built by 2009.
– The government wants more international students, but has not taken into consideration the fact that this will mean that the amount of student housing must be increased, says Øye. Aside from the issues regarding student housing in Europe, the future of higher education was also discussed.
– All students should have the same right to receive higher education, and we should have arrangements in place that will make this possible financially. The public sector must continue to be responsible for financing higher education.
