TUS Athlone students experiencing worst accommodation crisis in years

The student experience has been completely diminished for many students locally due to the current accommodation crisis according to TUS Students' Union.

SU President Niall Naughton says: “Within the last number of years working with students in regard to student accommodation, we have seen a complete shift in the dynamic of the student accommodation sector. From rent inflations, the lack in provision of student accommodation, properties going up on the market and homeowners ending their supply of accommodation to students and accommodation being given to other tenant cohorts.

Mr Naughton continued: “The demand is extremely high, and the provision is extremely low, thus leading to what is the worst accommodation crisis we have seen over the last number of years. The whole element of a positive campus culture which is so important within the ethos of every college in Ireland has also been greatly impacted by the crisis.”

Mr Naughton feels that the government should take action and prioritise student accommodation. He added: “Understandably proposed student accommodation projects have been delayed in terms of construction due to rising costs of materials but this is not a valid enough excuse. The student accommodation crisis was long on the horizon and it was just neglected and deemed as low risk. With the capacity to build purpose-built student accommodation within the borrowing framework act, we need to also see our Institutes and Technological Universities to start putting plans in place, borrowing funding and start to prioritise our students when it comes to a place to live.”

The Students' Union is calling on university staff and members of the public to offer rooms in their homes to students during the academic year.

According to Mr Naughton, students are being forced to commute if they cannot secure a place for the academic year, whether by public transport or self-transport. “Students have no other option but to sleep in cars or subsidise their funds to cover the costs of fuel and rent. Students are having to attend their lectures morning to evening and leave straight away for a long commute home and do it all over again the following day. That’s not what a student experience should be for anyone!”

“The government really have let the students down and it’s not just in the last year or two, student accommodation should have been at the forefront five years ago and the government should have enacted but unfortunately, it was left on the long finger like everything else. Our students deserve better and we will continue to fight on this matter until we see action,” concluded the SU President.

Sinn Féin TD for Longford Westmeath Sorca Clarke has invited students across Westmeath and Longford to share their experiences of the student accommodation crisis in the party’s online survey.

Deputy Clarke said:

"We want to hear from students in Longford Westmeath about how the crisis is affecting you personally. I am being contacted everyday by huge numbers of students and families in Longford and Westmeath who are worried sick about how they will secure suitable college accommodation in time. Many are concerned they will have to make long, exhausting and expensive commutes to college because they can find nothing nearby. Students should be able to focus on their studies, not face the added stress and hassle of navigating the housing crisis."