Labour Senator Annie Hoey has said the student accommodation crisis is “as bad as ever.”
A lack of student accommodation was one of the defining issues among young voters in the 2020 general election, and it shows no signs of going away anytime soon.
Hoey, who serves as Labour’s spokesperson on higher education, has called on the government to address the “serious shortage” of student accommodation in Ireland.
Hoey said “the rising cost of living is already putting a massive strain on students, and the lack of affordable accommodation is making it even harder for them to get by.”
“The student accommodation crisis is as bad as ever. It is increasingly difficult to find accommodation that is affordable for the academic year. Many of the options available for student accommodation are either too expensive or accommodation that is substandard and overcrowded.”
She said that students are now facing a year of “torturous commutes” or the prospect of having to live in “poor quality substandard accommodation.”
Worse still, the lack of student accommodation raises the prospect of students being forced to drop out of college altogether.
“This is not good enough and we need the government to take real action on the lack of affordable accommodation for students,” she said.
“There is also the risk of rental scams in the student accommodation and private rental accommodation market. Students need to be aware of the risks of rental scams and take steps to protect themselves. I advise students to contact their institution’s accommodation service and their students’ union when looking for accommodation.”