Sweden's united student unions, SFS, have compiled the situation on the housing market in the country's student locations before the start of the term.
Some locations have improved, for example by having added more housing over time. At the same time, SFS notes locations that have deteriorated as a result of high rents.
12 locations with green light
Among 35 study locations, 12 are green-marked, which means that students can count on housing within a month. Fourteen locations are yellow (housing can be offered during the autumn term) and nine are red (it takes more than a term to get housing).
86 percent of all students study, according to the survey, in a location that can be difficult to move to due to housing shortage during the first term – where the locations are red or yellow.
In order for a location to become green, a number of criteria are included, such as the rent being reasonable in relation to the study grant. It is assumed to be approximately 30 percent of the study grant, equivalent to just over 4,000 kronor.
Before the autumn, SFS sees a decreased number of admitted students and in some cities, it is now somewhat faster to get housing. But at the same time, the sharp rent increases in recent years hit hard.
The broad shortage remains still. The big problem is the consequences for the individual student, says Lindstedt.
It's about a student maybe not being able to choose their dream education, due to the difficulty of finding a home. Especially if you don't have contacts in the location or can afford a condominium.
Expensive with second-hand
Today, there are approximately 400,000 students at the country's universities and colleges. At the same time, the number of student apartments amounts to around 100,000. On the second-hand market in major cities, students compete with those who have a job with a salary, which makes it more difficult and more expensive, according to Lindstedt.
SFS wants to see several measures in the area. Including a state-funded construction of student apartments, a greater municipal responsibility, and the possibility of applying for extra support from CSN in the event of high living costs, instead of today's housing allowance.
Green study locations (housing can be offered within a month): Borlänge, Eskilstuna, Falun, Kalmar, Karlstad, Kristianstad, Norrköping, Piteå, Sundsvall, Västerås, Växjö, and Östersund.
Yellow study locations (housing can be offered during the autumn term): Alnarp, Arvika, Borås, Gävle, Helsingborg, Jönköping, Karlskrona, Linköping, Luleå, Skellefteå, Skövde, Trollhättan, Varberg, and Örebro.
Red study locations (housing cannot be offered during the autumn term): Göteborg, Halmstad, Kiruna, Lund, Malmö, Stockholm, Umeå, Uppsala, and Visby.
Source: Sweden's united student unions (SFS)
