Affordable accommodation has become the main concern for students preparing to begin university in Cyprus or Greece, according to the Pancyprian Federation of Student Unions (POFEN).
The federation is preparing to present a broad package of proposals to four ministries, arguing that housing grants alone cannot resolve the problem.
Affordable accommodation tops student concerns
Marios Kambouris, president of POFEN’s General Secretariat of Federations, told CNA that the cost of living for students, whether in Cyprus or abroad, has become particularly high.
Following the publication of the Pancyprian Examinations results, several students contacted POFEN for assistance with university enrolment and accommodation, he said.
Finding affordable housing is now the main concern for new students.
Applications for universities in Greece have also begun, with results expected in the coming days. Kambouris said this would mark the beginning of another period of university registrations and apartment searches, with many students expected to approach POFEN for assistance.
Rising costs deter families
Asked about student housing costs, Kambouris said prices had increased considerably over the years.
“Looking at the prices when I was a first-year student and comparing them with today, the cost of living for a student is certainly now quite high, whether in Cyprus or abroad,” he said.
“The cost rises year after year and, unfortunately, it has become a prohibitive factor for some families wishing to send their children to university.”
POFEN calls for long-term housing measures
POFEN’s position, presented at a recent federation conference, is that the housing problem cannot be addressed through financial assistance alone.
The federation says a wider increase in the supply of affordable housing is required.
Kambouris said this should include the use of public land, properly regulated incentives for private developers and closer links between housing, transport and spatial planning.
POFEN is also calling for the expansion of existing student halls and the construction of additional accommodation through multi-year planning for each city. Kambouris cited Limassol as an example, where plans for new student halls are already under way.
Public land and affordability conditions
POFEN has proposed cooperation between the state, universities, the Cyprus Land Development Corporation, local authorities and private developers to build student halls on state-owned or university land.
The federation is also proposing that increased building density should be granted only when it is tied to a binding percentage of affordable units.
Other proposals include the creation of a public register of student accommodation containing information on prices, location, accessibility and energy performance.
POFEN also wants provisions for accessible rooms for people with disabilities and a limited number of emergency beds for students facing a sudden housing crisis.
Talks planned with four ministries
The proposals form part of a framework approved by POFEN and will be submitted by the federation’s new secretariat to the relevant ministries in the coming days.
A meeting is being arranged with the Ministers of Education, Finance, Transport and Interior to discuss the measures.
Source: CNA.
