“The housing crisis is hitting students hard,” says Maaike Krom, Chair of the National Student Union. That is why the LSVb will be protesting in Utrecht today, together with organizations such as the Woonbond and FNV Young & United.

Many students are giving up the search for a room and are staying longer with their parents, according to the latest figures released this fall. The shortage of student rooms could rise to 63,000 by 2032.

Why are you taking to the streets?
“In politics, everyone says how important it is to build more housing, yet little or nothing has happened. They need to stop talking and start taking action. We hope a few hundred demonstrators will join the protest.”

What do you think is going wrong in the housing market?
“We are far too dependent on private landlords. Another 18,000 private student housing units have disappeared, and rents remain so high that people simply cannot afford them.”

Some parties suggest stopping the inflow of international students, which would free up student rooms.
“You cannot blame international students for the housing crisis. Politicians have chosen to cut spending on housing and have not invested enough. The housing crisis is caused by political indecision, not international students. In fact, we need them for our economy.”

Other parties want students to have easier access to temporary rental contracts, which would also increase supply.
“We are against temporary contracts because then you could suddenly be out on the street after one or two years. That is not a solution.”

What would be a solution?
“We believe students should be guaranteed housing by the government, for example in collaboration with educational institutions or housing corporations. That way, we can quickly provide housing for students who currently have to travel long distances or do not have a supportive home environment.”

Not a supportive home environment?
“Not every student has an environment where they can study effectively. Conflicts with parents are also normal; that is part of growing up. It may not apply to everyone, but for many young people, living independently is important for their social and emotional development.”

But how can you quickly increase the number of student housing units?
“At the very least, you need to tackle vacant properties, as is being done in Amsterdam and Utrecht. Housing corporations need more room to do this. Let them take over vacant buildings and convert them into housing. In the long term, the social housing sector needs to be properly organized again. We simply cannot rely on private landlords to provide enough housing.”

What are your expectations for the elections?
“We hope the new House of Representatives will not wait until the coalition formation is complete, because we no longer have that time. Everyone needs a place to live; you don’t need a coalition for that.”

The Housing Protest will take place today at 1:30 PM on Domplein in Utrecht.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.