All Student Vote (Spring 2025)

Let's fight for better on-campus accommodation

This motion is for the President and VP Democracy and Development to lobby the University to freeze rents and bring them back down to pre-COVID levels and for Warwick SU to fully and unequivocally support the aims of Warwick Housing Organisation, to campaign for rent reductions, future rent freezes and more accessible accommodation. 

This Union Notes:

1. Due to the current state of on-campus accommodation, Warwick Housing Organisation has been created, to push for lower rent and better quality accommodation.
2. According to research by the Boar and Warwick Housing Organisation, on campus accommodation has gone up in price by 7% from 22/23 to 23/24. This adds up to £550 to each person’s accommodation bill per year. (1,2)
3. Whitefields, the cheapest accommodation by almost £30 a week, is set to be abolished, likely replaced by accommodation that is not close to the current price. 
4. This is on top of already increasing rent, with accommodation increasing by up to 70% since 2011 (2).
5.  Only 1% of on campus accommodation is rated affordable by NUS standards (2).
6.  This serves only to drive up the University’s profits and deter poorer students and those from marginalised backgrounds joining the university.  
7.  38% of students told Save the Student that they have considered dropping out due to worries over rent (3).

This Union Believes:

1. That the price of the University’s on-campus accommodation is too high. Additionally, the rent increases imposed on students are unacceptable.
2. That the University is not listening to students’ concerns over the cost-of-living crisis, as evidenced by their exorbitant rent increases.
3. That the planned demolition of Whitefields, the cheapest on-campus accommodation means that many students simply will not be able to afford to live on campus.
4. That students have a right to organise, lobby and pressure the University on this issue, both through Warwick Housing Organisation and other means.

This Union Resolves:

1. Warwick SU fully and unequivocally supports the aims of Warwick Housing Organisation, to campaign for rent reductions, future rent freezes and more accessible accommodation.
2. For the President and the VP Democracy and Development to, at every possible opportunity, lobby the University to freeze rents and bring them back down to pre-COVID levels.

·       

  Sources:

o    1 - https://theboar.org/2023/09/accomodation/ 

o    2 - https://www.instagram.com/p/Cx6EAcLtYBE/?hl=en-gb&img_index=3

o    3 - https://www.savethestudent.org/accommodation/national-student-accommodation-survey-2023.html