By Chenoa Colaco
University students throughout the UK are struggling to find accommodation due to increasing costs and low availability. This comes at a time of rising energy bill caps and university over-recruitment.
On 22 August 2022, The Office of Gas and Electricity Markets, Britain’s energy regulator, raised its main cap on consumer energy bills to an average £3,549 ($4,197) from £1,971 a year. This announcement received widespread concern as Senior Economist Johnny Marshall predicted thousands having their energy cut off entirely and millions struggling to pay their high costs. University students, especially those living outside of halls will be extremely vulnerable to these new implementations.
Alongside this, universities in Manchester, Glasgow, and Bristol have pushed many first years out of halls due to over-recruitment amid inflation levels in the UK reaching 10% and a looming recession.
While recent events have brought the student housing issue to attention, the Save the Students Survey 2018 shows that students have been struggling with rising costs for years. Up to 44% of students struggle with rent and bills, with many admitting the strain it puts on their mental health.
The National Union of Students in Scotland have also released alarming statistics stating that 12% of students are in a state of homelessness and a third are considering dropping out of their course due to financial difficulties.
Several students at LSE have commented on their difficulty finding housing as well as keeping up with the costs.
A second-year International History student commented: “We started looking as early as November but we couldn’t find anything good until April. We had to lower our standards on things like being close to campus and having one bathroom for each person. It was really stressful especially for me because I don’t have any family in the UK, and I would have nowhere to stay if I couldn’t find a house for the next year.”
“We also had bad experiences with our landlord. None of us knew how to handle the forms and things like that and our landlord did not know how to support us at all. At one point he just suddenly told us to pay a £2500 deposit and we all had to scramble to find the money. It was a really tiring situation and the bills are just adding more and more problems.”
Students at LSE find the halls a “worse” alternative to private housing. A second-year Geography student in Rosebery Hall commented that their rent increase from £238 to £248 pounds a week does not translate into quality of housing. He states: “the value of money is basically non-existent. We get rooms smaller than prison cells and our kitchens don’t even have ovens. It isn’t fair that because we live in London we can be charged so much and we have no other choice but to stand and take it.”
A third-year Politics student who commutes to London has also commented on the drawbacks of their living situation, explaining: “I struggled commuting to university and it has definitely impacted my overall university experience. There is the logistical and financial matter of dealing with transport costs where sometimes I have to go on two trains and a bus to get to classes on time.”
The student expresses that the long commute to campus has created an isolating feeling: “It has…really affected my social life. Most of my friends live pretty close to campus or in student accommodation and I feel like I’m an outsider. A lot of students thrive on the idea of a social life at university including myself.
While these problems persist throughout the UK, students in London are said to be hit the hardest due to the high cost of living in the city. Universities are encouraged to provide support for students who are living amidst the housing crisis.
LSE offers several forms of support for financial difficulties including maintenance loans and funds. An LSE spokesperson said: “All students can apply to LSE’s Student Support Fund, designed to support all registered students who are in unexpected financial difficulty and can demonstrate that they are facing challenges.” In response to the current housing crisis, “LSE has increased this fund in the 2022/2023 academic year to proactively help our student community.”
“The School also provides generous financial support, in the form of bursaries and scholarships, to UK and overseas students to help with living and accommodation costs. These include an LSE Accommodation Bursary to help towards the cost of halls of residence and an LSE Bursary and Discretionary Bursaries to help students with exceptional financial needs.”
For students struggling, “the support map on the LSE Student Hub has guidance about where to go if students need support with anything relating to their LSE experience, including housing.”
