Mission impossible, new season for students and their parents: find an apartment by then back to school 2022 !
“Situation more difficult than the previous year”
The situation is generally complicated for families each time from August. 200 calls per day in some real estate agencies, much more than in other years! Of the waiting lists to visit properties are formed for example in front of the real estate agencies of Aix-en-Provence, Cours Mirabeau. “No free apartment before the beginning of September” we say, for example, in a real estate agency, to the great regret of the candidates and their families.
The situation is “even more difficult than the previous year” highlighted Lyes BelhadjPresident (until September) of theA F at Aix-Marseille University. “A little freaky” according to Félix 23 years old, a Master 2 student, who passed through Paris and Aix-en-Provence for his studies. Candidates sometimes fight for unsanitary apartments: 585 euros per month for a 17m2 “with some mold on the walls” grimaces Yann, an L3 student who came accompanied by his family to visit several properties.
The vacant housing crisis
Reasons for the problem: more and more vacant homessecond homes or vacant homes, purchased for purely speculative purposes. “An explosive cocktail” accuses Lyes Belhadj at UNEF Marseille. With the dilemma: should we eat well or be well housed?
For Ramdane, a 21-year-old Algerian student in Saint-Jérôme, “He’s been looking for a month!” Highlighting : “10,000 foreign students are not entitled to the Crous. But the Crous has free rooms, it’s incredible.”
In this context, the UNEF student organization denounces the attitude “cynical” of the government, with an increase “ridiculous” APL (decided this summer) which does not compensate for the monthly increase in the cost of living, according to Lyes Belhadj.
In total, inflation in the cost of student living represents an additional budget necessary of 428.22 euros for the year, or 35.7 euros more each month according to a report by the UNEF.
– Alexandre Lepere