BOND PRECAIRE WOONVORMEN

Students suffer from housing shortage: March 15 protest in Utrecht

The housing shortage is great. You have been registered for an average of eight years for social housing. Between 2009 and 2015, 262,400 social rental homes disappeared. Students must seek refuge in temporary and precarious housing. And that does not stand alone.

We're talking to Aindriu. He came to the Netherlands as an Irish student to study political science and music science. Since his arrival in September 2017, he has been looking for an affordable room with residential security in Utrecht. This search is extremely difficult.

First he slept in a hostel, then on the couch with friends, then in a temporary room of five square meters for four hundred euros with a slum landlord, and then ended up subletting with students in a short-stay home from SSH. At the end of February, Aindriu and his roommates had to leave this house because it was being demolished. He was offered a room through Holland2stay, but it was not affordable. All rooms are around seven hundred euros per month. So too expensive.

The example of Aindriu does not stand alone. The BPW recently spoke at the Utrechtse tenant consultation hours many students experiencing housing crisis. housing shortage; before, during or after the study. From (illegal) subletting, to anti-squat, from expensive private individuals to campsites and from cars to friends' mattresses; the room and housing shortage in Utrecht and the surrounding area is large. It is estimated that there is a national shortage of 47,000 student rooms, a significant part of which is in Utrecht.

Aindriu decided not to let it go and therefore started a group "We Want Woonruimte", together with others, he points out the weak position of (foreign) students seeking housing and they campaign for good (student) housing. Watch Melanie, Cristina and Aindriu's story below.

Do you also run into this problem and do you want to support them?  Then follow this facebook group from We Want Living space

 

“We Want Living Space”.

Together with We Want Woonruimte, the Bond Precaire Woonvorm will organize actions to address the problems and demand concrete solutions and changes in housing policy. 

On 15 March 14:00 there is a protest at the Janskerhof in Utrecht. Are you in?

 

What is your housing story? Aindriu

What is your housing story – Cristina

 

What is your housing story? Melanie

Do universities, housing corporations and municipality take responsibility? – Cristina

What does it mean if there isn't affordable housing? Melanie

Support the fight for housing security!

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