College students in Norway have long faced a difficult annual hunt for housing, but that should soon ease. State officials can report a record number of student housing units under construction with more to come, in addition to funding for rehabilitation of existing units in Lillestrøm and Oslo.
“It’s necessary to prioritize student housing construction also in the future,” said Sigrun Aasland, the government minister in charge of higher education, when she recently visited the site of a major project in Oslo. The new Nordberg Studentby will open this fall with 462 units, meeting rooms, laundry rooms, bicycle parking and outdoor areas.
More than 5,000 new student housing units are under construction nationwide, mostly in Norway’s large cities where housing is most expensive and hard to find. Bjørnar Skjæran, government minister in charge of local governments, stressed how additional student housing units can help take pressure off local real estate markets, especially rental rates.
Another 971 one-room apartments (called hybler in Norway) are also under construction or rehabilitation in the Oslo area, with funding in place. “This is really good news for students,” said Eilif Tanberg of the student organization in Oslo SiO. “Even after several years with lots of construction, the need for student housing is high.”
NewsinEnglish.no staff
