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In the first monthly STAND Student Podcast, presenters Anson and Aine were joined by Lorna Fitzpatrick, President of the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) and Cathal Curry, one of the founders of giveback.ie, to talk about the experience of the housing crisis from a student perspective.
As a new academic year starts, some students are more worried about finding a place to live than starting their classes:. In Ireland’s main cities, while student accommodation doesn’t meet the growing demand, other accommodation is often unaffordable for students who are on a tight budget.
A situation that the USI is trying to address by providing advice and other support services to students, as well as advocating for lower student accommodation prices: “The first thing is not to increase the rent on University accommodation, which is unfortunately not what we’ve seen. It is adding another layer of financial pressure for students,” explained Lorna Fitzpatrick. The president of the USI also said many students are victims of scams, and listed a few tips to avoid falling into these traps.
The housing crisis is affecting many people and families across Ireland. With giveback.ie, which was launched recently by young graduates, students can easily raise money for the Inner City Helping Homeless charity, and provide support to those who live on the streets. “By using our app every time they shop, up to 10% of the purchase price is donated to this charity. It’s an easy way for students to have a concrete impact,” said Cathal Curry.
WATCH: Lorna Fitzpatrick’s top tips to find a suitable accommodation to rent and avoid scams