DEBATE, the article was published in the Althing 5 / 11-2020. Read the article on altinget.se here
The investigation "A socially sustainable housing supply" with Karolina Skog (MP) as responsible investigator is now in its fifth month. According to the committee directive, the purpose of the inquiry is to create conditions for a housing supply that facilitates the situation for those who have difficulty obtaining housing on market terms.
Students are one of the groups that find it difficult to get a home and even more difficult to get a secure first-hand contract. Despite this, we at the Swedish National Union of Students (SFS) have still not received a clear signal that students will be included in the investigation.
If the Minister of Finance and Housing Per Bolund (MP) seriously believes that this is the most important investigation during the term of office, it is time for a comprehensive approach to be taken to include all the vulnerable in the housing market. Do not forget the students, Karolina Skog.
Financially vulnerable group
Today, every second student spends more than a third of their income on housing according to CSN, compared to the rest of the population who spend about 20 percent of their disposable income on housing. Most students have a relatively low income in the form of loans and grants from CSN. The competition is therefore great when it comes to the homes that have reasonable rents. The problem with newly produced homes is often that they have far too high rents in relation to a student budget.
The solution could have been housing allowance, but the current design of the housing allowance is not adapted to the students' situation and many students are therefore afraid of being liable for repayment.
A large proportion are forced to work
Right now, a record number of people are applying for higher education. Approximately 400 people of different ages and different life situations study every year at Swedish colleges and universities. Many of these are full-time students, which is a full-time occupation. Despite this, work alongside the studies increases over time. As many as 000 percent of students in CSN's latest survey of students' social and economic situation stated that they work alongside their studies.
Four out of ten felt that working alongside their studies had a negative effect on their studies. It is not reasonable for a full-time student to also have to work alongside in order to be able to afford the rent. From politicians we often hear that it is important that those who are admitted to higher education implement it. SFS agrees, but in order to complete their studies, students need to be given good opportunities to actually focus on just that - not to worry about having a roof over their heads.
"Unacceptable back"
In recent years, the production of new rental housing has been at a relatively high level, which SFS welcomes. But despite this, there is still a housing shortage in many parts of the country, especially housing as economically weak groups that students can afford to demand.
The last resort for many is to enter the secondary market, but not only is the rent higher and the situation generally unsafe - The Tenants' Association in Stockholm's latest campaign "Stop the housing chaos" also shows that students are asked to perform household services in addition to paying the rent. This is an unacceptable reverse of the housing shortage.
SFS believes that students should not have to work alongside full-time studies to manage their livelihood. Likewise, students should not be forced to live with a lower standard than other groups in society or have more difficulty than other groups in obtaining housing at a reasonable rental cost.
Counteracts equal opportunities
Today, however, the housing situation is an obstacle for many to study the education and in the place that the student actually wants. This goes against the statutory goal of broadened recruitment, which means that factors such as socio-economic background or contacts should not play a role in whether a person chooses higher education or not.
Students as a group are exposed in the housing market. To not include students in the investigation is to miss an important target group, something that risks undermining the investigation's value. We therefore urge Karolina Skog as the responsible investigator to take a holistic approach and include the students in the investigation.
Linn Svärd, Vice Chairman, SFS