Incoming students not given expected on-campus accommodation

New undergraduate and postgraduate students starting the University of Warwick are falling victim to the lack of on-campus accommodation for another year running, having been a problem since at least 2010.

Undergraduate students are, once again, having to share single-bed rooms in Westwood or Rootes for the beginning of Term 1 until somewhere else is found to house them.

The Facebook group for the 2016 Freshers is flooded with posts requesting to swap to different accommodation.

Postgraduate students, meanwhile, are being told there is not enough room in the postgraduate accommodation and are having to find places to live off-campus.

By Saturday, 10 September, many students still had not heard about their allocation, despite being told they would know by the end of this week. Some of those are jokingly saying they will “#OccupyWarwick” until they are given a place to live.

For the 2013 intake of postgraduate students, 100 of those not given on-campus accommodation were still struggling to find somewhere to live by the end of October.

One third-year student also detailed how some undergraduate students last year had to be housed in hotels until enough accommodation was freed up by people leaving the University.

This is all despite Warwick being ranked in the top 10 in the UK for university accommodation in 2015.

Ben Harris, an incoming Master’s student, is one of the postgraduates told there is not enough room in accommodation for him.

He explained: “It was promised in effect when everyone signed up that it is likely that nearly everyone would be in post grad halls. And those that don’t would worst case end up off campus uni ran accommodation. So not an awful worst case by any means.

“But what’s actually happened is nothing of the sort. I found out only last night that all they can do is offer my room to sleep in a class room till the end of September and until mid October the best they could do is arrange cut rates at a hotel.”

He added: “I have found little while looking but am sure it will work out. If I continue to struggle however, I will certainly be utilising offers of study elsewhere.”

Sarah McHugh, meanwhile, is an undergraduate first-year who has been placed in a shared single room in Westwood. She stated: “If I am to be completely honest I’m really not happy about having to share a room. I will have no privacy and the room is only a single so it will be really claustrophobic. I’m nervous to start now.”

The University have been approached for comment.