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SOME STUDENTS IN UCD are sleeping rough, in their cars and on their friends’ floors as they can’t afford accommodation, the university’s students’ union has warned.
Yesterday, students at UCD took part in a tent protest after it emerged rents at campus accommodation are to increase by 12% in the next three years.
For this academic year 2019/20, it costs between €6,745 and €11,591 in rent for the two semesters in UCD. Most who stay on campus will be paying more than €7,000 to do so.
Even at the lowest end, that’s €749 a month, meaning that rents have risen 76% at UCD in the past decade.
UCD Student Union’s welfare officer, Una Carroll, told TheJournal.ie that some students – who aren’t in on-campus accommodation – have even told her they have stayed in Dublin Airport for the night as they had no alternative arrangements for the night and they face a long commute.
She outlined the types of issues that she sees in her role at the university. “The general and most common example is students presenting at risk or who are homeless,” she said.
“Around 9/10 students that come in here [do so due to] financial difficulties. Recently we’ve had an increase in the number of students arriving in our door carrying sleeping bags instead of their books.
“We have students who are sleeping in cars, their friend’s cars, [or] on the floors of their friends’ accommodation.”
Last weekend, TheJournal.ie looked at the cost of on-campus student accommodation nationwide. We found that it can cost between €5,982 and €8,226 at Trinity College Dublin, between €2,600 and €4,900 at Maynooth University, and from €3,750 (for a twin bedroom shared with another) to €6,942 at NUI Galway.
President of UCD Students’ Union Joanna Siewierska highlighted the pressure of the cost of on-campus accommodation. “One of the key issues is that we are only providing accommodation which is at the top scale. We are not providing accommodation for students which is subsidised,” she said.
“It’s a very targeted plan to have accommodation which is the most expensive,” she added. “This is a public institution and not a business. Our role is to provide education. We have excellent courses and lecturers here. And there are those who have the grades and the ambition to want to succeed here and they should be able to do that.
“We are only accessible to those who can afford the rent. If you’re from a rural town – the message is – if you can’t afford it then don’t come here.”
Students at UCD are preparing for a large-scale demonstration next week.
They are demanding a reversal of the 12% increase to campus rents as well as the establishment of a rental support scheme to support student renters.
Also this week, students called on the University of Limerick to reverse a decision to add a second bed to some of the single rooms in its accommodation.
In a statement UL Student life said it is “appalled” at the situation and said the announcement came too late in the year to allow students time to find alternative arrangements for September.
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Welcome to the new norm, cradle to grave milking by the establishment, huge student loans USA style coming. Then a poor paying job that “requires” a 4 year degree paying back said loan. Sad times.
@D’oh: Career Guidance people and parents should direct students towards apprenticeships and the world of work – plenty jobs out there – instead of going to college and doing a course which leads to nothing. This idea that everyone must go to college with no regard for their ability or usefulness of the course they take is crazy.
@MiseBean: what a misinformed comment by eegit. I am in college and do business and have to say its not useless
@jnulty17@gmail.com: how do you know it’s not useless if you’re still in college? The test of usefulness is how well the knowledge you acquire in college can be applied to your subsequent professional career, so maybe keep your powder dry on calling people eegits till you are actually in a position to comment on the usefulness of your studies.
@jnulty17@gmail.com: you quite sensationally proved his point. College student can’t actually logically assess the point made.
@jnulty17@gmail.com: Learn to be a carpenter or a plumber and learn a bit of business on the side in your own time. You will have a career for life and never be out of work.
@Thewestisbest: the last two recessions ware hand to mouth for a lot of tradesmen and a lot more emergrated and never came back
@MiseBean: while I agree more people should do apprenticeships and such, it still doesn’t address the problem of overpriced student accommodation
@Thewestisbest: Gen Z and Millennials don’t want to do those jobs because they have big ideas about themselves. It’s beneath them. They want to “be somebody”.
Students want everything for nothing now. What happened to working to put oneself through college.
Its a great world world you feel entitled.
@Dave Barrett: You seem to feel entitled, how much was rent when you were college age?
@Dave Barrett: Inflation happened. As the article states, rents in UCD have risen 76% in the last decade. I doubt that students’ income has risen along with it. Also— students are not looking for something for nothing. They’re looking to reverse the decision to increase rent; this isn’t looking to have accommodation for free. We should be making it easier for people to get a higher education; this is where our future doctors, engineers and scientists will come from. By making it harder and less desirable to get an education, we are jeopardising the future of our society as a whole.
@Dave Barrett: no they don’t most want a education and it costs money , add in accommodation and transport it’s a big cost. College is like a lottery and if you get a place in a city or county far from home the cost rises. We should be helping these students because their education will determine their earning power and eventually pay the taxes we need for public services . Give them a chance 20 year olds shouldn’t have the stress of huge rents in colleges bad enough later in life.
@Dave Barrett: didn’t get enough pointd Dave?
@Shane Barry: worked since i was 14 and did leaving and went to college and qualified. If you cant afford to go to college why should someone else pay for it. FYI the level of entitlement in society is huge .
@angela gaffney: they have enough to go out getting drunk . Stop!
@Dave Barrett: ajax is right. Inflation happened but nobodys wages have increased by the same amount. It’s a huge problem in society in general. Or have you got your head so far up your hole you haven’t noticed?
@Dave Barrett: No body cares what you did, doesn’t mean that students should have to pay outrageous rents.
@Dave Barrett: read the article- they don’t want accommodation for nothing; they just don’t want to be ripped off.
@Dave Barrett: too true.
But they still have money for drink and drugs
@Dave Barrett: there are people working full time and struggling with rent and cost of life in Dublin so stop it and get some help!
@ernest simon: parents or the state are struggling with costs of college – students are just having the crack.
@Dave Barrett: You could say the same for Private schools, they get millions of taxpayers money, so if parents want their kids in private schools then why don’t the parents pay for it all & not scrounge of the taxpayers!
@Dave Barrett: “If you cant afford to go to college why should someone else pay for it.”
Because an educated workforce is enormously beneficial to the country.
What a grossely Ignorant comment. So poor people should be locked out of 3rd level. A boy or girl whose parents are lower income earners can’t hope to be a doctor or lawyer or engineer because his Dad is in manufacturing?
Are you sure you went to college with stupendous ignorance like that?
@Shane Barry: Mine was nothing because my Mam & Dad worked their arses off to pay it for me.
@angela gaffney: Apply for a course in Tralee or one of the other provincial towns. En suite room €80 per week.
@Thewestisbest: Well not everyone’s parents can afford that
@Dave Barrett: UCD accomodation is 8000 for 8 months, so 1000 per person per month, 6 people share a basic apartment, so the apartment is 6000 per month for 8 months.
UCD charge students 48k for an apartment for 8 months.
“Greedy Landlords” charge working people 20-30k for an apartment for 12 months.
Students don’t want accomodation for nothing, they want fair pricing.
My brother worked in Dunnes to put himself through college. Got his PhD offer and then worked on campus. Only took ten years. Bought himself an old nissan micra. Made it work. College by day. Work at night. Study on days off.
Feel sorry for these kids these days. Hard work putting yourself through college and living away from home. There should defo be accomodation available and perhaps jobs around campus or something like that.
@Eugene Tyson: I did that too but rent was much lower then so it was possible to live on 15 hours wages. Now it’s not. That’s why students nowadays are so much poorer than your brother was. I did my degree in four years and paid for everything, I don’t know why it took your brother 10.
@SC: Eh because his brother did a PhD and probably a Masters in between??
@SC: well he lived at home. Buying a car was cheaper than rent. Bus to town and then to maynooth every morning was a struggle timewise plus difficult to get to work. Bought a cheap car and drove to and from everyday. I remember his insurance was insane on the car. But still cheaper than rent.
@Eugene Tyson:
The fact that he bought a car and commuted rather than paying rent is a problem in itself (not directing blame to your brother obviously, he did what was sensible for himself). People in Ireland, especially places like Galway or surrounding Dublin, spend well over an hour commuting each morning, terrible for the environment, and a horrible waste of people’s lives. 1:30 commute means 15 hours a week commuting, roughly 700 hours a year wasted commuting. And we’re told that “moving out of Dublin” is the solution to high rents?
Living in Amsterdam now, and I have to say, the 25 minute commute is the biggest improvement in my life quality. During college I commuted for an hour each morning and never realised how miserable it made me.
My two youngest in college at the moment, rent is €690/ month, for the two, in different cities.
We are lucky, one lives in extended family accommodation and the other in a box room in a 4 bed house. That’s all I pay, they are self sufficient otherwise. Both have 2 jobs each and they contribute one third of their fees from their summer earnings.
@Mary Walshe: your lucky to be in that boat Mary. Some people barely have a dinghy. Does sound like you have 2 good kids there though. Good luck with the future
There are loads and loads of private rentals available for students. Spare rooms in people’s homes for decent money with all mod cons. We looked to rent to students last Aug/Sept time. 1km from DCU, 20 mins by bus to TCD. Double room, single occupancy, ensuite, decent rent (lower than quoted in article), family environment. Students were not interested. Rented to a young professional in the end.
@lambda sensor: how much were you charging? Would they have full equal access to kitchen and living room?
@lambda sensor: let the commented replies above take that von board
@SC: Beggars can’t be choosers.
@SC: I dont want to put the price up here… but less than the €750 quoted in the article. Full access to kitchen and a large house, sitting room, lounge. We have NO problem renting to professionals. We were inundated with professionals looking to rent. Couples, singles, young, old. Students… crickets! Looks like they love to complain though!
@lambda sensor: 750 is not a good price for digs, hence why students don’t have that much for digs and professionals do. And professionals looking for digs at that price is more a symptom of a bad rental market than a good solution provided by you.
@John Black: do you piss on everyone’s chips all the time?
Also, it’s less than 750. It could be 500. Or 600. You’re commenting on less than the full info which we were told wouldn’t be revealed.
@lambda sensor: 450 is a good price. You seem money hungry.
@Bernard Sweeney: I do when they deserve it.
Think about what you’re saying here.
Advertising it at 750 means students will think it’s 750 and not bother applying, and she is complaining that students don’t apply, how are they to know it’s any less?
So needless to say in this case, I don’t need the full info to piss on her chips.
@John Black: less than 750 John! Could be 200!! And where did he/she complain that students don’t apply? Just said they weren’t interested.
@Joe Kennedy: I read back and she did say less, i misread and misunderstood that part of her comment, I took her comment to mean she advertised 750 but gave it to people for less, I apologise for that. However, her entire post was giving out about students not applying, that part I stand by and I won’t apologise for, she’s claiming that students shouldn’t complain about the cost of rent when they won’t apply for her digs.
@John Black: fair enough. I don’t get any sense of complaining off her comment but fair enough if you do. Not sure why she’d be complaining about not getting students…..would have thought most people renting their place out would prefer professionals anyway wouldn’t they?
@Joe Kennedy: you’re missing what I’m saying, she’s not saying she’d prefer students but she’s saying so long as students aren’t applying for places to stay similar to hers, they have no right to complain about rising accomodation costs and that’s utter nonsense.
@John Black: no I get that you think that’s what she’s saying, but I don’t read it as that myself, is all I’m saying.
Third level has become a bit of a con job. When I got my degree in the 90’s that was all that was needed. If you went further than that you were unemployable, over qualified. Now my two kids are in University and they’ve been told that their degrees are not enough. You MUST get your masters or employers won’t look at you. It’s like buying a car on PCP €3,000 a year for 4 years with balloon payment of €16,000. Like I said a con.
@Skipper Mac:
Interviewer to applicant: You need a degree for this job
4 years later:
Interviewer to applicant: I don’t care about your degree
@Skipper Mac:
@Skipper Mac: it’s not a con. It’s basic economics.
3rd level is made free, huge numbers of people start to go to university, a college degree is less impressive. Supply increases in the Market, demand goes down.
So am important question to ask before going is why you’re doing it. If you’re doing it to learn about your chosen profession then you’ll win. If you’re doing it for a competitive advantage you’ll lose out.
There is major snobbery to things like apprenticeships in this country. There is nothing wrong with finishing secondary school, not going direct to college and rolling sleeves up and starting a full time work/apprenticeship. Obviously college is important for some obvious big careers and that’s just how it is for them but there are students going to college for joke courses costing 10k a year that will never get them anything in life only debt and all just to say they had the drinking college life when an apprenticeship will make you employable always and also allow you an advance for a quicker degree post qualification if you wish because of life experience gained.
@Ashley Rowland: this would be a good point if it were under a different article.
Doesn’t really do anything to lower the cost of college accommodation though does it?
@Ashley Rowland:
Big problem IMO is the expectation that you go straight from leaving cert to college to masters and that’s that. Not enough options for people to work a few years and actually grow up enough to know what they want out of life before they decide how to invest 4 years of their life (the 4 year full time is another problem IMO, not enough options for people to study part time while they work)
Academia is an institution, it’s all set up for the benefit of the colleges, they like the way things are. Lots of young dumb folks rushing into degrees they know nothing about and being spit out the other side works just fine for them.
And it gets no easier when you finish college!
@Dave Thomas: nobody said it did
This is the new norm under FF FG, total failure, how can families support students to pay up to €10000 in rent and then fees, and whoever says work like I did, is not living in the reality of FF FG economics, that is why a change has to come, society first then economy
Don’t go to these colleges!! There are ITs in Sligo, letterkenny, Carlow and Waterford, etc excellent centres of education, with cheaper rent!
@Bleurgh: But do they do the courses the people want to do. No use going to the ITs if they dont teach what you want to study.
I love the way these parasites make it look like they are actually doing ye a favor while topping up their bank accounts. We’re jacking up the rent and throwing ye out on the street but we are actually doing it to re invest. They do it because they know that will get away with it by their enablers , the last gov. while laughing all the way to the bank.
@Mike Marshall: currently about to spend €14million on a private staff club. Proper fatcats they are.
All of a sudden, accommodation or a roof over one’s head has become a luxury or privilege
How does a student have a car
@Trevor Connolly: they either work like dogs or live at home
This from the same college that are spending €14 million on a private staff club. What a joke that is. Vile.
Let’s say a student from Galway is going to Limerick each going to university why is there not a student exchange program ie a swap during the week no charges for parents and a nice home too.. food, electric,clean bed and wife..
It would wipe out alot of demand.
Irish Housing Crisis – root cause not supply, its “cost of build” …
https://www.change.org/p/irish-housing-crisis-referendum-on-family-homes
VAT on homes ..daft Irish stuff!
.. young people need to bring their brains to the Polling Booths …
I thought you could only raise rent every second year? Not every year?
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