The situation seems just as precarious in other university cities: in Cologne, according to the student union there, 1,500 students are still looking for a room. The student union in Bonn still has 2,200 active applications, although these could also include students who have found something in the meantime. This generally also applies to the other university cities in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The living situation is also tense in Bielefeld. According to information from the student union, 850 people are still looking for affordable accommodation there. The waiting time for an apartment is now three to four semesters. If students are willing to move into a shared apartment, things go much faster.

In Münster, there are still almost 2,350 students on the waiting list, according to the student union there. The student union’s emergency accommodation with 18 places is also fully occupied.

In Münster, the gym is being converted into a sleeping place

In order to draw attention to the unfortunate situation and make it easier for first-year students to start university life, the General Student Committee (AStA) of the University of Münster, in collaboration with university sports and with financial support from the university and the city of Münster, set up an emergency accommodation in the first week. Up to 150 freshmen were allowed to spend the night in a gymnasium in the first week.

“People from Frankfurt, from a village in Bavaria or even from Bremen have found accommodation here and now don’t really know what’s going to happen next,” says the chairwoman of the AStA, Theresa Dissen. The converted gymnasium was only a temporary solution.

The situation in Siegen is less dramatic. There have been 550 inquiries this semester, and almost 300 students are still on the waiting list, reports the student union in Siegen. “However, it can be assumed that many of these students have already found an apartment on the private housing market in the meantime,” says a spokesman.

Scarce living space is particularly a problem in university towns

Living space is scarce throughout Germany. “A situation that is proving to be highly problematic, especially in university towns and for people with a comparatively low income,” says Johannes Wessels, chairman of the State Rectors’ Conference (LRK) of the universities in North Rhine-Westphalia and rector of the University of Münster.

According to current statistics, half of students who manage their own household have less than 870 euros per month. The LRK therefore appeals to private housing providers and politicians to make optimal use of available living space and offer it to these students, as well as to support the student unions so that dormitories can be adequately expanded.