UNIVERSITY of Limerick students are looking for places to hide and sleep on campus where they won’t be discovered, so desperate are they to continue at college despite having nowhere to live.
That is just one of the startling findings of an accommodation survey carried out by University Of Limerick Student Life students’ union, who also found that undergraduates, particularly first years, are commuting from as far away as Dublin, resorting to emergency hostels or spending way more than they can afford on hotel accommodation.
“Students have actually been asking where they might find a room or a warm place on campus where they won’t be found to hide overnight because they can’t find anywhere to live,” Jennifer Purcell, Communications Officer with UL Student Life told the Limerick Post.
The survey, launched by ULSL Communities Officer, Laura Corcoran, also revealed that students are resorting to sleeping in their cars, using public showers and washing facilities or where they can find accommodation, paying 600 a month to share, often in damp, mouldy and otherwise sub-standard accommodation.
Ms Purcell said the level of desperation among students who don’t want to drop out of college is unprecedented.
“UL have only 2,800 beds as student numbers rise to 18,000, the highest number UL has ever had. The University has plans to build more student accommodation but they don’t have the funding.”
With a late influx of 3,500 first year students this year, there just isn’t capacity in the private rental market, students representatives say.
UL Communities Officer, Laura Corcoran said: “The private rental accommodation that was traditionally for students became vacant during Covid and as a result that accommodation is now being let out to families and working professionals who are also competing in that market, this had a knock on effect when students returned to campus as there are now even less vacant properties to rent near the University.”
And while students have the option of deferring courses they have been offered, there is no guarantee that the housing situation will be any better next year, ULSL representatives point out.
Over a quarter of the 1,200 students surveyed stated that they are still seeking accommodation, with one third of those being forced to commute simply because there is no accommodation available in Limerick.
ULSL President Maeve Rutledge and representatives of students unions in other colleges, met for Education, Simon Harris last week pleading for him to take action on student homelessness.
Ms Rutledge said: “I presented him with the findings of our student accommodation survey. Our goal was to lobby Government for more funding to help build more student specific accommodation. In response to the combined efforts of the student unions, Minister Harris has appointed a liaison officer facilitating a direct line of contact with his department.
“Minister Harris acknowledged that this is an ongoing issue that has reached crisis point and has taken our report findings so we await an update from his department.”
