Third year student Daniel told us he was only able to secure Halifax accommodation after having to call accommodation services and “recount every single horrific circumstance of my situation”.
Daniel explained that he had specifically requested accommodation with an ensuite due to needs arising from sensory issues.
Although the university does not provide an accommodation guarantee for continuing students, some students said they expected the University would find them somewhere to live.
Although Daniel has now been allocated a room in Halifax, it does not have an ensuite.
He says this will be “a difficult affair for me at best, but it’s that or I [will] bankrupt myself on private accommodation or literally go homeless”.
After missing out on campus accommodation, continuing student Samson decided to contact YUSU President Patrick O’Donnell over the issue.
Samson told O’Donnell: “The crux of the issue is, why are there so few places that returners have to apply within the first several hours that housing is released.”
Applying within these first pivotal hours was not possible for Samson, who was on a gap year.
He had to ask the accommodation team to grant him manual access to the application portal, by which time all rooms had already been taken.
After Samson was told his accommodation application had been unsuccessful, the accommodation team sent him some private sector options.
Samson told Vision he believes this is placing the “onus on students”, when it is the university who have created the “unprecedented limited supplies”.
One suggestion of private sector accommodation was Vita Student where prices start at £225 per week.
Vision was told these private sector accommodation options are not realistic for many students, including estranged students and care leavers.
A student who was hoping to return to on-campus accommodation explained that it is even worse for independent students as, “They have to rely on the University as a guarantor.
“If they don’t find accommodation they could end up homeless, as York is their home and sometimes they don’t have parents to go back to.”
York will only be a guarantor for rent up to £155 a week and the student said that, “[With] rising prices in York, and coordinating with potential flatmates, it’s increasingly hard to find something under this price.
“The issue with the University being the guarantor is that If you can’t find anything below the amount they’ve set you can’t stay off campus.”
Estranged students are guaranteed campus accommodation by the University.
Estranged students, like others, were only offered accommodation in Anne Lister or Halifax, with Halifax the only option priced under the University’s guarantor limit.
One student felt this was a “very clear trap to keep people’s money on campus”.
The University of York’s website says the University hopes that “our accommodation will be your home away from home”, but Daniel said he believes the University is prioritising freshers and “washing its hands” of the responsibilities towards continuing students, forcing them into “private accommodation or other, unsuitable arrangements”.
He said the University “owes students is a palpably clear explanation”.
Speaking to Vision, YUSU Community and Wellbeing Officer Kelly Balmer said: “The accommodation situation in York has been getting worse over the past decade.
“At some point it is going to hit breaking point, and, if I am honest, I think we are about to hit it. I know many applied to York as it advertised itself as having returners’ accommodation options.
“Disabled students should be gauranteed on-campus accommodation, estranged students and those who need them should be able to access the University’s guarantor scheme regardless of price. Private sector accommodation across York is getting full for many reasons, and one is the University’s rapid expansion of the student population.
“As a result, students in desperate need of affordable, accessible and quality accommodation apply for halls; only to get rejected and left with a few of the most expensive options out there to pick from. It isn’t on.
“YUSU is currently working with the City of York, University of York, York St. John and a national student accomodation charity to find a solution, because York is getting full and we’re getting fed up.”
A University spokesperson said: “Supporting our estranged students wherever we can is extremely important to us, and in light of recent increases in private accommodation prices, the University will be reviewing the price cap for which it will be a guarantor for estranged students.
“We know finding the right place to live is a huge part of university life, and that there is a lot of demand to be on campus. This is why we’re providing more campus accommodation, with Anne Lister and David Kato Colleges fully opening later this year.
“However, demand will far exceed supply and this means unfortunately we cannot guarantee campus accommodation for continuing students.
“We guarantee University accommodation for new undergraduates, many of whom are living away from home for the first time, as well as continuing students with additional requirements such as a disability.”