Rental crisis to worsen as thousands start at UOW in autumn, fear students

Apparently, she says now, it was too much to ask.

With the academic year soon to begin again, fears the affordable housing crisis will bite University of Wollongong students are growing by the day.

It is a situation UOW acknowledges as they look to process final accommodation offers this week.

Ms Roy* came to Australia in January last year and her search for suitable, affordable, safe accommodation took 10 months.

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"When I landed, I stayed at my uncle's place in Sydney for three weeks while looking for a room in Wollongong," she said.

"I wasn't getting anything and classes were about to start so I just confirmed and paid for a place that I hadn't seen before."

When Ms Roy did move in, she immediately realised the grave error she'd made but says she had no choice.

"The rent was too much, so it was me and my friend sharing a room and it was so small that there was barely any space to walk," she said of the Wollongong unit.

"The first week the main door just wouldn't lock, we felt very unsafe and it was an area where you'd hear sirens all the time."

The Indian student endured rental rejections galore as she did not have a significant rental history.

"I'm new to the country, how could I have had Australian rental history? Real estates should consider that and make it easy for us," she said.

When the arrangement ended in November 2022, Ms Roy feared homelessness. All her rental applications had been rejected so she turned to the university for help.

"I got emergency accommodation at the university's International House for two weeks and I'm very grateful for that. They didn't take any money from me."

The computer science student at UOW acknowledged it was a difficult time to be a student in Wollongong, especially with the current competitive rental market.

For UOW postgraduate student Raj Singh* the accommodation jigsaw was equally difficult to complete as he was looking for a couple-friendly space.

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"No one really talks about what it's like for couples and families seeking places to live, it's harder than you can think," he said.

Mr Singh started hunting for a place two months before arriving in Australia but still had nowhere to go the night he arrived.

"Fortunately, through the Asian International Students of Australia group, we were able to live with a Pakistani couple who very kindly hosted me," he said.

he and his partner stayed a fortnight but then had to settle for a private rental which, in hindsight, he deemed "unlivable"

"Uni accommodation was full and I was placed on a waiting list," he said.

"In desperation I had to move into whatever was available, I didn't even have the luxury to properly inspect it."

Mr Singh's request to the real estate companies is to make the application process easier for students.

"I don't know how much the university can do but the government could probably address the issue and do what they can."

With the autumn session of university starting late February, crunch time for hundreds, if not thousands, of students is fast approaching.

UOW Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor Theo Farrell said the limited accommodation for students both on and off campus was "very much" on the mind of UOW leaders.

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"This is a problem across all of NSW and Australia and the pressure is being felt by the renters," he said.

The university closed down two of its accommodations Weerona and Marketview due to decreased demand during the pandemic.

With student numbers almost going back to pre-pandemic standards, the reduced room capacity is expected to only add to the rental crisis.

"Demand for UOW accommodation is high among both domestic and international students," a UOW spokesperson said.

"Final accommodation offers are being processed this week, after which we will operate a waiting list for the places that will become available as both international and domestic students make final decisions about their study plans and begin taking up their UOW accommodation offer."

For students having difficulty finding somewhere to live UOW has a dedicated Accommodation Support Hotline (02 4221 5777) that provides help and guidance, and we are recruiting a Student Housing Services Officer to give personalised accommodation support and advice to students, the spokesperson said.

*Names have been changed to protect the identity of the students.

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