It’s not often that the youth organizations tied to all of Norway’s political parties agree on a common platform, but they have on the issue of student housing. They’re demanding more of it, especially given the high real estate prices and rental rates in Oslo and other Norwegian cities.
The youth parties for Labour, the Conservatives, the Progress Party and the small centrist parties want to speed up student housing construction projects. They want the total amount of student housing to equal at least one unit for every five students.
That means the state needs to fund construction of at least 15,000 more student housing units given the current shortage, according to Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK). Foreign students in Norway generally have top priority for student housing, leaving many Norwegian students scrambling to find places to live every year.
University and college tuition in Norway is free and student loans to help cover living costs are widely available, but the youth parties are also calling for an increase in financial aid for students. They also seek more funding for mental health programs for students.
newsinenglish.no staff
