DEBATE, the article was published in the Altinget on 5/11-2020. Read the article at altinget.se here
The inquiry “A socially sustainable housing supply” with Karolina Skog (MP) as the lead investigator is now in its fifth month. According to the committee directive, the aim of the inquiry is to create conditions for a housing supply that eases the situation for those who have difficulty obtaining housing on market terms.
Students are one of the groups that have difficulty getting housing and even more difficulty getting 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 Minister of Financial Markets and Housing Per Bolund (MP) seriously believes that this is the most important investigation during his term of office, then it is time for a collective approach to be taken to include all vulnerable people in the housing market. Don't forget the students, Karolina Skog.
Economically vulnerable group
Every second student today spends more than a third of their income on accommodation according to CSN, compared to the rest of the population who spends 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. Competition is therefore high for housing that has reasonable rents. The problem with newly produced housing is often that the rent is far too high 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 students' situations and many students are therefore afraid of being required to repay.
A large proportion are forced to work
Right now, a record number of people are applying for higher education. Approximately 400,000 people of different ages and different life situations study at Swedish colleges and universities every year. Many of these are full-time students, which is a full-time job. Despite this, working outside of studies is increasing over time. A full 43 percent of students in CSN's latest survey on students' social and economic situation stated that they work outside of their studies.
Four out of ten felt that working alongside their studies negatively affected their studies. It is not reasonable that a full-time student should also have to work alongside their studies in order to be able to afford the rent. We often hear from politicians that it is important that those who are accepted into higher education complete it. SFS agrees, but in order to complete their studies, students need to be given good opportunities to actually focus on that – not on worrying about whether they have a roof over their heads.
“Unacceptable backside”
In recent years, the production of new rental housing has been at a relatively high level, which SFS welcomes. However, despite this, there is still a housing shortage in many parts of the country, especially housing that economically weaker groups such as students can afford to demand.
The last resort for many is to go to the secondary market, but not only is the rent higher and the situation generally unsafe – the Stockholm Tenants' Association's latest campaign "Stop the housing chaos" also shows that students are being asked to perform household services in addition to paying the rent. This is an unacceptable downside to the housing shortage.
SFS believes that students should not have to work alongside full-time studies to make ends meet. 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.
Opposes equal opportunities
Today, however, the housing situation is an obstacle for many to study the education and in the location that the student actually wants. This counteracts the statutory goal of broadened recruitment, which means that factors such as socio-economic background or connections should not play any role in whether a person chooses higher education or not.
Students as a group are vulnerable in the housing market. Not including students in the investigation is missing an important target group, something that risks undermining the value of the investigation. We therefore urge Karolina Skog as the lead investigator to take a holistic approach and include students in the investigation.
Linn Svärd, Vice President, SFS