Room shortage takes its toll
Suffering outside the city
Door Lotte Kruijer
By Lotte Kruijer
Lotte Kruijer
No spontaneous drinks
German psychology student Max Manukyan was full of optimism when he started looking for a place to live in Groningen. He and a friend planned to get something together, but after looking online for just a few weeks, he became completely discouraged. ‘Most rooms were too expensive, too small, or both.’ In the meantime, they kept getting rejected for all the places they did want to live. They were told ‘no’ at least ten times. They couldn’t even get a camping spot.
Finally, the pair decided to widen their search parameters. Perhaps it was time to look outside of Groningen? ‘The only reasonable place we even got invited to view was our current studio apartment in Assen’, says Max.
It used to be a hair salon, which means it’s not an ideal student room: the large living room windows mean everyone can see inside. The place is also poorly insulated and the central heating only comes on at night. ‘But we were so happy that we actually found something that we immediately said yes.’
I have to plan things quite carefully
He’s since found out that there are some drawbacks to living in Assen. ‘I have to plan things quite carefully. When I get home after a day of classes and my friends spontaneously decide to get a drink, I first have to think about whether it’s worth it to travel back and forth. Sometimes I’m too tired to go. Sometimes I just don’t have the time. So yeah, my life as a student isn’t quite how I imagined it.’
Downtime in between classes presents a challenge as well, because he can’t just bike home for a bit. ‘The first few months, I would just do nothing. I would just sort of hang around the university.’ It wasn’t particularly productive, and he realised it stressed him out.
Now he uses the downtime to make phone calls, do homework, or go to the gym. ‘I’m doing better, but it’s still a puzzle.’
He’s realised in hindsight that he should have come to the Netherlands to find a room. Friends of his who did so, did manage to find a place in town. But he hasn’t given up hope of still finding a room in Groningen. ‘Although the search is nearly driving me crazy.’
The last train to Leeuwarden
Croatian student Ines Saracin (19) did come to Groningen to look for a room, but she had no luck, either. She ended up in Leeuwarden. ‘If I’d known how inconvenient it was, I never would’ve rented this room’, she says.
If I want to go out with friends, I have to stay the night with one of them
When she heard, in August, that she’d graduated and could start her studies in Groningen, she immediately flew to the Netherlands. ‘I wanted to find something as quickly as possible, since I knew I was already pretty late to start searching.’ Because her finances prevented her from staying very long, she accepted the first room she was offered. Which happened to be in Leeuwarden. ‘I figured it was better than nothing.’
But she hadn’t taken the time or the cost of the two-hour daily commute into account. ‘It costs 22 euros every time I travel to Groningen and back. Every week, I spend more on travel than I’d like to.’
While her parents help her out financially, that’s only temporary. ‘I’ve considered finding a job, but the Dutch language is an obstacle. It’s practically impossible to find a job in Leeuwarden if you don’t speak Dutch. Because of the expensive and lengthy commute, I don’t want to get a job in Groningen.’
Living in Leeuwarden also makes having a regular student life difficult. Making friends proved to be a challenge in particular. ‘Because I’m always checking the time and where we were going, it’s hard to form a bond with my fellow students’, she says. ‘Going out is the worst. The last train to Leeuwarden leaves at one in the morning. If I want to go out with friends, I have to stay the night with one of them. That’s fine once or twice, but I don’t want to become dependent on them.’
That means she’s still looking for a room in Groningen. ‘Trying to focus on my studies while also looking for a room isn’t great. I’m mainly trying to enjoy being a student right now, but I definitely want to leave Leeuwarden.’
Relaxing in the Asserbos
Bela Redkar (21) was already worried about the housing shortage in the Netherlands before she came to Groningen. ‘The stories I’d heard were pretty concerning’, says the international security master student from India.
She couldn’t travel to the Netherlands until her visa had been approved in late July, so she started looking for a room online. It’s a shame, she says; she probably would’ve found something better if she’d been here in person. ‘The friends who were already in the Netherlands didn’t have as much trouble finding a room. Most landlords won’t even respond to a request if you’re not physically there.’
Bela now lives in Assen with four roommates, and has a room that’s 15 square metres. ‘We share the kitchen, living room, bathroom, and a garage.’ She pays 540 euros a month. ‘I think it’s a lot of money for what I’ve got. I would’ve expected to pay something like that in Groningen, not in Assen. I hadn’t expected to pay this much, but I thought this was my only option.’
It’s not the end of the world to not prioritise my social life for a bit
Her social life has been affected by her living situation, she says. ‘It has definitely been harder to make friends and form a bond. But I don’t think it’s the end of the world to not prioritise my social life for a bit.’ Her studies are her main priority, making it easier for her to accept the situation.
The biggest drawback is that she can’t move, because she signed a rental contract for a year. ‘I’d originally intended to move to Groningen down the line, but I’m stuck with this twelve-month contract, even if I find someone to take over my room. I didn’t put a lot of thought into this.’
But she tries to look on the bright side. ‘There is a lot more nature than in Groningen. Assen is much quieter, so it’s easy for me to relax when I get home. I can walk straight into the woods from my front door.’
Fortunately, she says, she’s only here for a year. ‘That makes it easier to accept the situation for what it is. But it still kind of sucks.’