University College Cork (UCC) has become the latest college to increase rent prices for on-campus accommodation, following University College Dublin (UCD), Dublin City University and NUI Galway.
University College Cork Students’ Union (UCCSU) has blasted the decision, saying it indicates “a chasm of priorities emerging between UCC and its 22,000 students”.
The college will hike rent by three per cent for the 2020/2021 academic year, opting not to increase prices by the maximum four per cent as outlined in the Residential Tenancies Act.
In a statement, UCC said: “Due to major refurbishing work, the rise in security and maintenance costs and the investment required to provide additional accommodation for students, Campus Accommodation UCC has decided to raise its campus accommodation rates by 3% for 2020/21. Income generated by Campus Accommodation is exclusively used by the company to meet such costs.”
The statement continued: “UCC is extremely conscious of the financial challenges faced by students and has decided to review the applicability of the 2020/21 increase for students in receipt of student assistance funding.”
The college also said that “any changes to Campus Accommodation rates are considered together with the student representatives on the Campus Accommodation Board”.
In a statement, UCCSU said it “fully condemned” the rent increases.
“Two student representatives from the Union sit on the Board and vehemently disagreed throughout the process that any such increase should be implemented.”
“It’s important”, the statement said, “when reviewing such proposals that the wider implications are adequately appreciated. This year alone, we witnessed the UCC Student Assistance Fund running out of support funds faster than any recent year and a Food Bank having to be established in order to support those who are unable to purchase the bare essentials”.
The statement added that a three percent increase in rent would mean that accommodation in the college has increased by 19 per cent over three years, “a rate that cannot be supported”.
“Given the national context of a third of students in Ireland facing severe financial problems, this decision by UCC would seem to indicate a chasm of priorities emerging between UCC and its 22,000 students, one that will likely come to a head over the coming weeks.”
Yesterday in UCD, University College Dublin Students’ Union led a protest of around 100 students to the Tierney Building where university management were having a meeting.
Speaking to The University Times after the protest, Sierwierska expressed “solidarity” with Trinity and with other colleges facing “ridiculous” rent increases.
“We’re public institutions, we’re not business” she said.
“Soft direct action” will be taking place this Thursday in response to proposed rent increases in Trinity.
The University Times reported last week that Trinity could discuss a proposal to raise the price of its student accommodation – as well as a “€10 per week premium” on rooms in its Printing House Square complex – at Finance Committee level.
In 2019, changes to the Residential Tenancies Act meant rent increases for student accommodation were capped at four per cent.
Yesterday, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin wrote to university presidents seeking a meeting over “deeply disappointing” rent increases that he says “are not recognising the spirit” of new laws introduced to curb the price of student accommodation.
In a press statement, Ó Broin said that “students cannot afford any more rental increases and should not be priced out of the University of their choice due to accommodation costs”.
“Sinn Féin and other opposition parties worked hard to force a change in the legislation to ensure that on-campus student accommodation was included in the rent pressure zone legislation”, he said. “This made it illegal for on-campus student accommodation providers to increase rents by more than the 4% cap.”
“While the Universities are adhering to the letter of the law they are not recognising the spirit of the law.”
Today on Twitter, the Irish Universities Association – which represents universities, and last year lobbied for an exemption to the four per cent rent cap – wrote in reply to Ó Broin that university “accommodation is funded largely through borrowing so any solutions that may be proposed to address the long standing and urgent funding crisis in 3rd level would be welcomed”.
“We’re aware that some university presidents have responded to your letter and agreed to meet you.”
The price of student accommodation came under major scrutiny last summer after The University Times revealed that over 90 per cent of purpose-built student accommodation developed in Dublin since 2016 costs €840 or more.
