‘Saynt Andrews’ saves the day?

The housing hunt heats up.


houseThe ever-increasing tension over housing in St Andrews is old news for many students, who are frustrated with the high prices and low availability that greet them in the property search. Pair this with HMO restrictions meaning many rooms in properties are sitting empty and it is not difficult to see why so many students are unsatisfied with the situation they face. It seems, however, that the time has come for more than grumbles over a pint with an organised protest appearing on many students Facebook feeds.

The event, which is hosted by the anonymous ‘Saynt Andrews’, has over 1000 intended attendees and hopes to shake up the relevant authorities. Guests have been assured that this shall all happen above board but will hopefully apply enough pressure to create lasting change in the town’s housing market.

When asked, the organisers were keen to stress their love for St Andrews as a University and town but were seeking “an official response from the University”, stating that “We are looking for the University to conduct an official, thorough and bi-partisan review in order that they can arrive at a suitable long-term (and transparent) accommodation plan”. They also cited two main areas of concern: “i) The town centre HMO ban and ii) The University increasing its enrolment”. These two factors, according to the event organisers, are the main reasons for the housing problem the student body is currently facing.

They also voiced some concern for the condition of private accomodation, telling The Stand that they believe that the competitive market means that “landlords and property management companies have no incentive to maintain their houses to a standard that reflects their monthly rental prices.”

This is an ambitious move and some are doubting the effectiveness of the protest on social media sites. Others are meeting the student organised protest with a more positive feeling (and more than a little hope). Regardless of the outcome, recent petitions, complaints and now protests against the new private accommodation are certainly a hot topic among St Andrews’ students.

It seems like those in charge are going to have to listen to students who fear the financial burden of moving out of halls.