– I think it is because we are a commuter school, says Christiane Thøgersen Krogfoss. The student leader at Østfold University College is a commuter himself. She lives at home and drives from Sarpsborg to Fredrikstad to study. Student leader Christiane Thøgersen Krogfoss hopes more students will choose Østfold in the future. Photo: Julie Helene Günther / news Very many of the students at the school are Eastfolders, she says. – There is not such a great need for student housing here. Many people commute and that is probably why they are empty, says Krogfoss. In Østfold, there are 1,145 student housing. 248 of them are unoccupied two weeks after starting their studies. Over 4,000 are in the queue At the same time as apartments are empty in Østfold, students elsewhere in the country are struggling to get hold of student housing. Before the start of studies, the student union in Western Norway prepared dormitories with mattresses for the students. Østfold University College last year had 7,565 students spread over campuses in Halden and Fredrikstad. Photo: Sara Vilde Solås/news 4,140 students are still on the waiting list for student accommodation, according to updated figures from the Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions. It is in the big cities, such as Oslo, Trondheim and Stavanger, that the lack of housing is greatest. The head of the Norwegian Student Organization, Oline Sæther, believes it is important that students have a safe home before starting their studies. – It is a very desperate situation for new students. They face this time with a fairly high level of stress when they start their studies, says Sæther. These are the housing queues as of 1 September As of 1 September 2023, a total of 4,140 students are on the housing queue. Here is the overview at the various study locations. Norway’s Arctic student association, a total of 202 in the queue: Alta: 2 Hammerfest: 0 Harstad: 10 Narvik: 6 Svalbard: 0 Tromsø: 184 Nord student association, a total of 80 in the queue: Bodø: 60 Levanger: 10 Mo i Rana: 0 Namsos: 0 Nesna : 0 Steinkjer: 2 Stjørdal: 8 Studentsamskipnaden in Innlandet, a total of 79 in line: Blæstad: 1 Elverum: 0 Evenstad: 1 Hamar: 25 Lillehammer: 52 Rena: 0 Studentsamskipnaden in Indre Finnmark, a total of 0 in line: Studentsamskipnaden in Gjøvik, Ålesund and Trondheim, a total of 1272 in the queue: Gjøvik: 157 Trondheim: 1040 Ålesund: 75 The Student Union in Stavanger, a total of 326 in the queue: The Student Union in Agder, a total of 201 in the queue: Grimstad: 68 Kristiansand: 133 The Student Union in Molde, a total of 0 in the queue: Studentsamskipnaden SiO, a total of 1317 in line: Lillestrøm: 38 Oslo: 1279 Studentsamskipnaden in Southeast Norway, a total of 238 in line: Bø: 22 Drammen: 13 Kongsberg: 54 Notodden: 0 Porsgrunn: 18 Rauland: 0 Ringerike: 115 Vestfold: 16 Studentsamskipnaden in Volda, a total of 0 in a queue: Studentsamskipnaden in Østfold, a total of 0 in a queue: Studentsamskipnaden in Ås, a total of 202 in a queue: Studentsamskipnaden in Western Norway, a total of 223 in a queue: Bergen: 215 Førde: 4 Haugesund: 0 Sogndal: 4 Stord Source: Samskipnadsrådet Student housing is rented out to others In 2021, a brand new student housing block opened in Halden. There is room for 213 students here. In 2021, the student association in Østfold also received funds to build a further 33 housing units. Here they received a grant from the Ministry of Education and Science of more than NOK 10 million. These student housing units were ready in Halden in 2021. Photo: Rahand Bazaz / news Two years later, 248 housing units are thus available. The school has chosen to lease 20 of these to an external company. – The dormitories are rented out to a company with a need for housing for its workers during a period of construction work in a local project, writes assistant director Dag Lislerud Midtfjeld in the Studentship Association in Østfold (SiØ) in an e-mail. – The company became aware that SiØ had vacant homes and made an inquiry to us about renting. The Student Ship Agency does not wish to be interviewed in this matter. They have only responded to news’s inquiries by e-mail. They write that students have first priority in the housing. – If SiØ is to rent out vacant student housing to people other than students, a higher monthly rent is calculated, i.e. market rent, as subsidies for student housing should only benefit the students. This provides a better economy than if the homes are empty, writes Midtfjeld. He emphasizes that no workers live in the same building as students. Hope more people will choose Østfold Student leader Krogfoss thinks it is good that the student association has the opportunity to offer housing to everyone who needs it. Christiane Thøgersen Krogfoss says that there are many people from Østfold studying at Østfold University College. Photo: Julie Helene Günther / news – But it’s a shame that not many people take advantage of the offer, she says. She hopes that more students from other parts of the country will choose Østfold University College. – If there will be many students in the future who want to live here, then we have the capacity for that, says Krogfoss.
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Over 200 student apartments at Østfold University College are available – news Oslo og Viken – Local news, TV and radio
