The electoral campaign ends in Poland. Two days separate the Poles from the legislative vote. But while the promises are pouring out, one question seems absent from the debate. A crisis that does not speak its name, that of student housing. However, it has been present in the Polish landscape for years.
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From our special correspondent in Warsaw,
Like every morning, this October, thousands of students crowd in front of one of the most prestigious academies in the country, the University of Warsaw. Some of them spent the night in a university residence. While for others, it’s more of a struggle. “ I had the chance. I rent a room in town for 900 zlotys (1 zloty = 0.22 euros approx.). I can afford it, because I teach at home. I thus gain 2 500 zlotys. But of course my parents continue to help me,” says Julia.
Room with a view
A room in an apartment for the equivalent of 210 euros per month? It is considered inexpensive. Zofia has to pay the equivalent of 350 euros for a studio that she shares with another person. “ Last year, I lived in a university dormitory. But I had to leave her. I worked at the factory. So, this year, I ended up applying for a scholarship. But I don’t count on it too much », Explains the young woman. She will probably not receive her allowance because of the famous ceilings applied to household income, unchanged for years.
Students, the first precarious
The surge in inflation is increasingly affecting the middle class in Poland, and students are the most precarious. Lacking decent housing, some do not hesitate to squat in the university library open 24 hours a day. Others, in order to meet their needs, find themselves forced to work full time and end up abandoning their studies. , worries Jakub Kruszynski, vice-president of the Independent Student Alliance (NZS), responsible for student issues.
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“ A place in a university residence corresponds to ten applications. The construction of new housing has stagnated for years. While the private home market is flourishing. And the places there are overpriced. This housing crisis does not exist in the current debate. However, only the State would be able to provide the means. In particular by releasing funds from the European recovery plan “, he explains.
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