Today, the start of the semester and godfather’s week are in full swing around the country. But for many of the students, it has so far been impossible to find a place to live. Fresh figures from the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions show that, as of 15 August, there are a total of 9,988 students on the housing queue. The largest queues are at the Students’ Association SiO, which includes Oslo and Lillestrøm. There, 3,396 students lack a place to live. Get a full overview of the waiting lists at the bottom of the article Chairman Hans Erik Stormoen of the Swedish Confederation of Trade Unions thinks the number of students on the housing queue is far too high. Hans Erik Stormoen, chairman of the Samskipnadsrådet. Photo: Anette Skafjeld / news – It is very sad, and we would like to have more student housing to allocate, he says. The Co-operative Council, which is the cooperation body for student co-operatives in Norway, advises students without housing to continue to be on the waiting list and at the same time investigate the possibilities in the private market and among acquaintances. Earlier this summer, approximately 17,000 students stood in the student housing queue. Stormoen is happy that more people have got a place to stay during the summer. Stavanger stands out But Stavanger stands out in terms of statistics. At the beginning of August, there were 695 students in the housing queue, while the number is now 754. Student housing at the University of Stavanger. Right now there are over 750 too few of these in the city. Photo: Josef Benoni Ness Tveit / news Stormoen says it is likely that several people have been confirmed as studying places in Stavanger at the last minute and then applied for student housing. – Stavanger has many people on the waiting list. They have not built enough student housing, so this is challenging. Ultimately, it’s about getting a place to live, he says. Part of the challenge in Stavanger is also the oil fair ONS, which starts at the end of the month. During the days ONS lasts, apartments in Stavanger can be rented out for anything from NOK 10,000 to close to NOK 50,000 on Airbnb. Setting up field beds as an emergency solution The housing queue means that the Students’ Association in Stavanger (SiS) offers an emergency solution to some of the 754 students who currently lack housing. Here, students can get a simple field bed in a dormitory with room for eight people. – It is a simple solution that can house people for a short period, says housing environment coordinator Claus Thorske in SiS. So far, one person has collected a key to the dormitories, and SiS expects more access to the dormitories in due course. They believe that some have postponed coming to Stavanger until classes start next week. Øyvind Lorentzen, assistant director of SiS. Photo: Julie Renée Buene / news According to assistant director Øyvind Lorentzen in SiS, the number of requests for housing with them recently shows that the situation is more pressing than before. – The rental market is under a lot of pressure, with high prices. This is a shame for those concerned, he says.
ttn-69