0
0
International students have expressed concerns about rising rental prices, anticipating having to study abroad elsewhere.
According to Property Council of Australia, international student visas have dropped 13 percent in conjunction with a 30 percent rent increase between 2019 and 2023.
Summer Ren is an international student from China, studying at UQ.
Ren is struggling to keep up with the rising rental prices at her student accommodation.
“I think it’s misleading… some students are very rich,” Ren said.
“For me because of the rent increase, I need to decrease the times I hang out with my friends.”
“If it gets more and more high for me in Australia, maybe I will choose not to study my masters in Australia,” she said.
According to Allianz Partner Research, 81% of international students struggle with housing affordability and over 75% of students report taking steps to reduce their spending.
Caitlyn Au is an international student studying at UQ.
Au has drastic rent increases and is seeking alternate housing due to her rent becoming unaffordable.
“They [government] need to really rework the way that they view students and how they accommodate students in Australia,” Au said.
“I think one of the ads, Liberal is going to build more houses or something like that… but can we afford them?”
“The problem is that nobody can afford them, so they are just sitting there collecting dust,” she said.
According to Allianz Partner Research,
“International students contribute $34bn in export income to the Australian economy making the sector vital for the Australian economy and the prosperity of the higher education system.”
Despite this, politicians from major political parties proposed a cap on international students.
Property Council of Australia reports that international students make up 6 percent of Australia’s rental market, and capping their numbers will only make a 0.6 percent difference to the rental market.
Allowing the costs of living to continue to rise and affect both international and domestic students.
Vicki Thomson, Group of Eight’s Chief Executive said,
“The Senate Committee is clearly split – despite compelling evidence from across the spectrum that capping international students will be a disaster on all fronts, the Government seems determined to push on and ignore the expert advice.”
Source list:
Talent:
Caitlyn Au – UQ international student (in-person interview)
Summer Ren – UQ international student (online interview)
Media Release: Senate Committee split on international student caps – GO8 https://go8.edu.au/senate-committee-split-on-international-student-caps
Media Release: UQ Union’s Welfare Programs Usage Reaches All-Time High – UQ Union https://uqu.com.au/wp-content/uploads/UQU_SRC_-Welfare-Programs-
Usage_MEDIA_RELEASE_07.03.24.pdf
Media Release: More than 4 out of 5 international students are struggling with housing affordability new report finds – Allianz Partner Research
https://www.allianz-partners.com/en_AU/in-the-news/press-releases/state-of-student- health-report-2024.html
Article: The Surprising Group Facing a Lack of Food in Australia – Food Bank Australia
https://www.foodbank.org.au/the-surprising-group-facing-a-lack-of-food-in- australia/?state=qld
Article: Myth Busting Housing Crisis – Property Council of Australia
https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/submissions/myth-busting-international-students-role- in-the-rental-crisis
Media Release: News report reveals little housing gain from international student caps –
Property Council of Australia
https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/media-releases/new-report-reveals-little-housing- gain-from-international-student-caps
Report: International students and housing and other cost of living pressures – GO8
https://go8.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Go8-Policy-Briefing-International-Student- Housing.pdf
Australia’s Leading Student Accommodation
https://www.cordonbleu.edu/sydney/accommodation-studentproperties/en#:~:text=Scape%20is%20Australia’s%20leading%20and,Scape%20is%20mor e%20than%20accommodation.
Written by Ariel Wilson
Author
Views: 15