A new semester begins, but the problem for many of the more than 130,000 students in Munich is a well-known one: Either their apartments are so expensive that they hardly have enough money to live in the otherwise not cheap city – or they find it at all no flat. First-semester students who have recently moved to Munich in particular have a particularly difficult time in the competitive housing market. And so some of them end up temporarily in one of the 20 emergency shelters of the Munich student union again this autumn. At the moment all places there are occupied.
The coronavirus crisis has also not seen any relief from the housing problem at the Studentenwerk in the past three semesters, which have largely only taken place digitally. “The demand for our living spaces was unbroken even during the pandemic,” it says. At the start of the winter semester, however, the demand is now particularly high. There are currently around 15,000 names on the waiting list for one of the 11,000 dormitory places, some of which are in Freising or Rosenheim.
And even if the Studentenwerk points out that many interested parties – especially those in the top positions who have been on the waiting list for several semesters – often refuse when they are accepted for a room in the dormitory, the number is compared to other Germans Big cities high: In the much larger Berlin, for example, there are only 4,000 students waiting for a place, in Frankfurt am Main around 3,000. A look at the prices on the free market explains why the dormitory places in Munich are particularly popular. While a conventional flat-share room now costs more than 650 euros, the average rent for a room in one of the 31 student dormitories is 301.80 euros.
The situation is exacerbated by the fact that renovation work has to be carried out in several houses in the largest residential complex, the student city. After a severe fire in February in which a 23-year-old student was killed, inspections found that houses nine and twelve needed renovation and were not habitable for the duration of the work.
In general, the Studentenwerk is happy about the unbroken popularity of the Munich metropolitan region with students. “On the other hand, we are always concerned about the increase in the number of students, since the situation on the housing market has not improved in recent years,” says press spokesman Ingo Wachendorfer. “The prospective students should be aware that the cost of living in Munich is particularly high and that unfortunately we cannot provide everyone with cheap accommodation.”
To improve the situation, the Studentenwerk is hoping for more political support. One wishes “that the framework conditions for studying are improved”. This also includes higher funding for the student unions. Because these are essential to provide comparatively cheap living space for students. The inexpensive catering for students in the canteens operated by the Studentenwerk is also important in order to make life in Munich affordable for young people.
In addition, the Studentenwerk points out programs such as “Living for Help”. In the project, students live with older people. The rent is free – the students return the favor by supporting their roommate in everyday life. But of course, students are primarily looking for a shared apartment in which they live with other residents of the same age. But the more tense the housing market for young people in Munich, the more interesting projects like “Wohnen für Hilfe” could soon become.