Criticism of housing prioritization

In the Welfare Council's meeting this Thursday, the council’s working group (AU) will propose to change the rules for the allotment of student housing. One of the suggestions is that students with special needs should no longer be prioritized in the housing allotment process. Under the current regulations, this group receives housing ahead of other students.

– SiO’s job is to allot student housing, not social housing, says Organization Manager of AU, Daniel Heggelid-Rugaas.

The Norwegian Association of Disabled’s Youth (NHFU) disagrees with the proposal.

– We react very strongly to this suggestion. This group of students should without a doubt be among those who are prioritized when housing is to be handed out, says Inger Helene Ruud, leader of NHFU.

Refer to the municipality and the state

– From now on we want the municipality and the state to take responsibility for students with social and medical needs, says Daniel Heggelid-Rugaas, who represents the Moderate Group in the Welfare Council’s Working Committee. The whole of AU supports the proposal to remove students with special needs from the priority list. The proposal applies to ordinary student housing, not housing especially designed for handicapped students.

– The specially designed housing will continue to be reserved for students with special needs, Heggelid-Rugaas states.

According to him, public health institutions guarantee housing.

– Then they must also make sure that they follow up on this themselves. SiO cannot take over this political responsibility on behalf of the municipality and the state to any greater extent than they are bound by law to do, Heggelid-Rugaas believes.

The background for the change in the regulations is the growing need for housing in Oslo.

– The regulations must be tougher, and our priorities must be clearer. In this way, we will reach those who need it the most, Heggelid-Rugaas says.

NHFU do not think that this reasoning makes sense.

– The change in the regulations will not lead to greater equality and equal rights to education, quite the opposite, Ruud states. She points out that it is harder for students with special needs to find housing, and many are searching in a pressured rental market. Therefore, it is important that these students can receive help from SiO to find housing.

– Students with special needs often have less than the average student to live on each month, on account of high rental prices and costs related to assistance and transport. Besides, not everyone has the same opportunity to work alongside their studies.

No evictions yet

Heggelid-Rugaas believes personally that student housing should be a gateway to the housing market in Oslo, and does not think that students should live in student housing for the entire duration of their studies.

– When some people spend a long time living in student housing, they are preventing other applicants from getting somewhere to live, he says.

AU has also proposed to reduce the maximum amount of time that one can live in student housing from ten to six years. This will mean that some students must move out of SiO housing during the course of their professional studies.

– I believe that this is healthy. Besides, it is easier for someone who already lives in Oslo to find somewhere to live, than it is for students who come from other parts of the country, or from abroad. When there is a lack of available housing, we must be more selective in who we allot student housing to, Heggelid-Rugaas states.

Another proposed change is that those studying full-time should be prioritized ahead of part-time students.

– Does this mean that those who have lived in student housing for more than six years, or those who are studying part-time, will have to move?

– We will not be evicting anyone. There will be a running-in period. However, for new students any new regulations will come into force from day one, he explains.

In the proposal, AU wishes to continue prioritizing tenants renewing their leasing contracts, international students and young applicants who live outside of Oslo and Akershus.