A significant housing shortage continues to affect students in Sweden, with recent rent hikes exacerbating the issue. According to the Swedish National Union of Students (SFS), only 12 out of 35 student cities offer housing within a month. The SFS calls for state-funded student housing projects and additional financial support to alleviate the crisis.
Nine Out of Ten Students Face Housing Shortage in Sweden
Nine Out of Ten Students Face Housing Shortage
The difficulty in securing student housing persists. Recent significant rent increases have hit hard, according to the Swedish National Union of Students (SFS).
"A new student needs accessible housing within the first month at a reasonable rent," says SFS Chairman Rasmus Lindstedt.
The SFS has compiled the housing market situation in the country's student cities ahead of the semester start.
Some cities have improved, for example, by adding more housing over time. Meanwhile, SFS notes cities that have worsened due to high rents.
12 Cities with Green Light
Among 35 study cities, 12 are marked green, meaning students can expect housing within a month. Fourteen cities are yellow (housing can be offered during the fall semester) and nine are red (it takes more than a semester to get housing).
According to the survey, 86 percent of all students study in a city that may be difficult to move to due to housing shortages in the first semester—where the cities are red or yellow.
For a city to be green, several criteria are included, such as rent being reasonable in relation to student aid. It is assumed to be about 30 percent of the student aid, equivalent to just over 4,000 SEK.
Ahead of the fall, SFS sees a reduced number of admitted students, and in some cities, it is now somewhat faster to get housing. But at the same time, recent significant rent increases hit hard.
"The broad shortage remains. The big problem is the consequences for the individual student," says Lindstedt.
It is about a student perhaps not being able to choose their dream education due to the difficulty of finding housing, especially if they do not have contacts in the city or can afford a condominium.
Expensive Subletting
Today, there are about 400,000 students at the country's universities and colleges. At the same time, the number of student housing units amounts to approximately 100,000. In the subletting market in major cities, students compete with those who have a job with a salary, making it more difficult and expensive, Lindstedt argues.
SFS wants to see several measures in the area. Among other things, state-funded construction of student housing, greater municipal responsibility, and the possibility to apply for extra support from CSN for high housing costs, instead of today's housing allowance.