Record number of students start autumn semester without a roof over their heads

More than 40 students in emergency accommodation; foreign students particularly badly hit

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An exceptionally large number of students have been forced to commence their studies without a permanent residence this autumn.
      On Monday, there were more than 40 university students in the capital area staying in emergency accommodation provided by various student unions.
      The student unions organise temporary accommodation for those students who have failed to secure a residence by the start of the semester.
     
The spare mattresses provided by the Student Union of the University of Helsinki have been in full use already since last week. The Student Union has rented two local authority flats from the Sofianlehto district to provide sleeping quarters for 22 undergraduates.
      “That is a fairly large number of students. Last year the most we ever had was 17 people simultaneously in emergency accommodation”, explains Niklas Piiparinen.
      Romanian Georgiana Carpov, 19, who has now spent a week sleeping on a mattress on the floor, is expecting to land a residence of her own from the beginning of October.
      Still, the idea of spending the rest of September in emergency accommodation depresses the student.
      “I have spent a lot of time in the library and only come here to sleep”, explains Carpov, who has arrived in Helsinki to study for a Master’s degree in English.
     
The need for emergency shelter exceeds the Student Union’s capacity to provide places.
      “More students are still queueing to get in. One can only ask what happens to those who are in a queue for an option that is supposed to be the last resort”, Piiparinen says.
      Also at the Helsinki University of Technology, there is a larger than average number of students left without a residence. On Monday, there were 14 students placed in temporary accommodation at Espoo’s Otaniemi campus.
      For the first time, the Helsinki School of Economics students have had to be placed in emergency accommodation this autumn. On Monday, there were seven HSE students housed in temporary living quarters.
     
Most of those left without accommodation are foreign students, but there are also some Finnish undergraduates among them. The student unions suspect that in general the Finnish students have better chances of taking lodgings for example with relatives or friends.
      In recent years the universities have made an effort to increase their number of foreign students. According to Markus Laitinen, Director of International Affairs at the University of Helsinki, the housing problems with the foreign students nevertheless do not stem from the increased number of students.
      In Laitinen’s view, the number of foreign degree students is not “significantly larger” than last year.
      The number of exchange students has increased at the University of Helsinki, but for most of such students the University provides living quarters through a separate quota system.
     
The subject of housing shortages for students was highlighted late last week when a group of activists occupied a disused building at the Lapinlahti Hospital.
      The City of Helsinki has threatened to call in the police to evict the occupants if they will not withdraw voluntarily.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Record number of applications for student apartments (2.3.2009)
  Student housing situation in Helsinki worse than at any time this decade (8.8.2008)
  HYY: Helsinki rental apartments too expensive for students (16.10.2007)

Links:
  Foundation for Student Housing in the Helsinki Region (HOAS)
  Opiskelijatoiminta.net

Helsingin Sanomat