The housing crisis in Ås
The housing crisis in Ås
NMBU has admitted a record number of students this year, and unfortunately some of them are now without an apartment in Ås. According to the managing director for Studentsamskipnaden i Ås (SiÅs), there may be a shortage of housing in the coming years.
Journalist: Li Li Than Winn
Photographers: Jørgen Berg Yndestad & Ibrahim Mohamed Ina Cabdulahi
Pål Magnus Løken (55) works at SiÅs as a managing director. His job involves overseeing the other departments and being able to report to the board. In other words, he also serves as the board’s secretary. He worked for SiÅs housing before his position as managing director and is therefore experienced in answering a range of questions about the housing issues.
How many are on the waiting list?
When he checked the list on August 5th, there were around 432 students in the waiting list. Løken explains that it is a recurring issue every year, and that it was even worse last year with higher numbers around the same time of the year. According to Løken, it was never the intention to have capacity to all students at NMBU, but the goal is to offer half of the students housing. Løken 's tip is: “It’s important to apply early and to have Pentagon on the list by June 15th”.
There will always be someone who does not get housing and therefore ends up on the waiting list. SiÅs doesn’t want anyone to be homeless, and they have a temporary offer for students in the housing waiting list.
What is the capacity of the dormitory?
Living in a dormitory is not the most attractive option, but it is a roof over your head. It costs 100 kroner per night and is located in a basement at Kaiaveien 15. There are 40 bunkbeds, 2 toilets, 2 showers and a kitchen. According to Løken, SiÅs have never experienced it being completely full. Late in August, there were still 20-25 students who lived in the dormitory, so at the same time, we at Tuntreet also visited to check on their living conditions. We talked to Eiel Gjælstad (19) and Elias M. Flores (22).
What is it like to live in the dormitory?
Eiel Gjælstad is from Bergen, just graduated from high school and is starting a bachelor's degree in technology and product development. Like many others in his situation, Gjælstad knew he had to apply early. Elias M. Flores is in the same boat and has been living in a dormitory since August 12th. Flores previously took a bachelor’s in international relations at Nord University and is now starting a master’s degree. He says that the dormitory is a great offer but thinks that it is hard to unwind when you’re constantly surrounded by people. “The hardest part is being socially exhausted”, Flores says about living in dormitory.
“The people are nice; it was more chaotic last year. There were more people, and they didn’t get along as well, from what I’ve heard” Flores says. They believe they’ve been lucky with both the people and the number of residents. In the dormitory, they have arranged a Snapchat-group called “The homeless”, and they do the best out of the situation, even if it’s not ideal. Gjælstad says that they have taco-nights together and tries to make the dormitory their “safe space”.
The quality of the dormitory is at the same level as the price; as mentioned, it’s a roof over their head. It is 20-25 people sharing one single stove, and even the vent doesn’t work. When they open the windows for fresh air, spiders and frogs can easily come inside, and everyone knows when someone is using the toilet. There is a pipe running through the dormitory, and you hear a vacuum sound every time it is flushed, which can be compared to the sound of an airplane toilet.
Most people at the dormitory ends up with renting privately, but it is usually more expensive and far from Ås. Most of the rentals in Ås are already taken. In September Elias M. Flores will be renting in Ski, where he will pay 6700 kroner monthly. “It is expensive, and I won’t have access to a washing machine”, Flores says. Students at the dormitory don’t know if they are number 5 or 50 on the waiting list, and that creates uncertainty.
By the end of September, SiÅs expects that most of the students have moved out of the dormitory. “We don’t just throw people out on the street” Løken says, but it is expected that they find themselves a place to live through August and September.
What is the status of the new housing?
In October, the zoning plan must be approved by the municipality in order to start the physical work in November/December of 2024. “This is a densification project for the entire Pentagon”, Pål Magnus Løken explained. The work will take time, and the project have several phases. The first phase is to expand Palisaden and create 266 new housings by the fall of 2026. In the second phase, there three new buildings constructed in the existing Pentagon. The new student housing buildings will be inspired by the buildings in Skogveien, with a focus on sustainability during development. Overall, the project will provide up to 450 new housing units, which will take at least 3 to 4 years. “Until then, it will be a shortage of housing”, Løken says.
