Students share cramped rooms as rents escalate

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After the tedious admission process, students of the university are facing yet another crisis in the form of affordable accommodation. Following the evacuation of students from hostels to make way for the Commonwealth Games’ athletes, there has been a huge accommodation crunch among students forcing them to look for alternatives. In the process, many are falling prey to greedy house owners and property dealers. PGs and apartments in areas adjoining both the North and South campus of the university have doubled their rents, and left with little choice, students are staying in cramped rooms.
“Two of us had taken up this place as we didn’t get hostel seats, but after this year’s exam, we have been sharing our apartment with six other classmates. We had to help them as they had no place to stay after they had to vacate their hostels. Hopefully, this won’t continue for a long time or else our landlord too might ask us to leave,” opines Shiraj Baruah of Venkateshwara College.
The number of rooms available in these areas hasn’t increased, but owners have almost doubled the rents. “We were thinking of shifting this year, but it’s impossible to find a place for two people with a budget of Rs 5,000. In fact following this rush, most of the two-room sets in Indra Vihar and Outram Lines have hiked their rents from Rs 6,000 to 9,000,” avers Rohit Dole, second year History (Hons), Hansraj College. While a lot of students have been living with their relatives, the real problem is for outstation students, who are flooding the city after the university session started last week. “I knew I have to vacate the hostel, but I wasn’t really thinking about it. And now that I am homeless, I don’t even have an alternate plan. Moreover, my local guardian stays in Gurgaon, and commuting from Gurgaon everyday is a pain,” opines Ahika Khulu, a student from Nagaland.
However, property dealers and landowners in areas such as Satya Niketan and Lajpat Nagar have a different story to tell. “This is the peak season for students to look for accommodation, and there is little we can do about the rush. Things are not the same anymore as everything today is expensive, and giving out houses on rent has been a trusted way for many residents in this area to earn sustenance,” opines Akhil Singh, property dealer in Satya Niketan.