Limited supply, high rents push affordable housing out of reach for most students

Sowmya Raju | NT

Bengaluru: Bengaluru is a popular city and expensive for student housing in India. The city has a number of top universities and colleges, and attracts students from all over the country.

The demand for student housing in Bengaluru is high, and the supply is limited. This has led to rising rents for student housing in the city.

The average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Bengaluru is around Rs 20,000 per month, which is out of reach of many students. This lack of affordable housing puts a strain on students in a number of ways. It can make it difficult for students to find housing close to their schools or colleges.

The high cost of housing can force students to take on debt. This debt can make it difficult for students to graduate and start their careers.

A final year MBA student who lives in a rented 2 BHK with his classmates said, “Recently the rent has increased and I have become the direct victim of it. My roommates's families are financially well off, but my father has to pull all the stops just to pay my academic fees, and now how can I ask him for extra money?”

The absence of affordable housing can significantly exacerbate stress and anxiety levels among students, impeding their ability to concentrate on their studies and causing health issues.

A shared and often overlooked aspect of students' lives is their diverse financial backgrounds. What might be considered pocket money for one student could be perceived as a lavish privilege by another.

This disparity contributes to feelings of inadequacy, and in some cases, even compels students to go to great lengths to conform and belong.

The demand for affordable housing in Bengaluru is far outpacing the supply. Many affordable housing options in Bengaluru are located in slums or infor mal settlements. These areas are often overcrowded, unsafe, and lack basic amenities.

A college student who spent over a month searching for a rental house in Bengaluru said, "I tried everything. There wasn't an app I didn't download, a marketplace I didn't explore, or a broker I didn't contact. But I was completely out of luck. Everything was either out of my budget or in terrible shape."

She now resides in a small 1RK in Koramangala, where she pays Rs 11,000 for 300 square feet of space. Students who are unable to find affordable housing in Bengaluru may have to live with family or friends, or they may have to commute long distances.

This can make it difficult for students to focus on their studies and can take away from their social life. A rental broker said, “The cost of living is high these days, and there is a scarcity of resources. This has led to high demand and low supply, which has driven up the cost of the rent. We do not control these factors, and we simply rent out properties to the highest bidder, regardless of their identity.”