"The cost of living for a student is quite high, whether in Cyprus or abroad," Marios Kampouris, President of the General Secretariat of the POFEN Federations, noting that a meeting is being scheduled between the Secretariat and the relevant ministries to discuss POFEN’s proposals for addressing the issue of student housing.
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“With the release of the results of the Pancyprian Examinations, several students turned to us for help with enrollment at Cypriot universities and housing,” he said, noting that finding affordable housing is now the primary concern for new students.
At the same time, he noted that “we are also in a period where applications (from new students) for Greece, and we are expecting the results within the next few days for students from Greece, where yet another cycle of work is beginning with their enrollment and the process of finding an apartment.”
Responding to a question from KYPE regarding the cost of student housing, Mr. Kampouris said that “as the years go by—that is, looking at prices from when I was a freshman and comparing them to today— the cost of living for a student is certainly quite high now, whether in Cyprus or abroad.” “The cost has been rising over the years, and unfortunately, this is a deterrent for some families who want to send their children to study,” he added.
Regarding new students who are planning to study in Greece, the President of the General Secretariat of the POFEN Federations noted that, in anticipation of the release of results by the Greek Ministry of National Education and Religious Affairs, it is expected that quite a few students falling into this category will approach POFEN for assistance.
At the same time, Marios Kampouris underscored POFEN’s position—which had been expressed at a recent conference of the Federation—that the housing problem cannot be addressed by a subsidy alone. “What is needed is an overall increase in the supply of affordable land, the utilization of public land, the regulation of incentives for private individuals, linking housing to transportation and land-use planning, expanding existing student housing, and constructing new housing units through long-term planning across the city,” he emphasized, citing Limassol as an example, where plans to create new dormitories are currently underway.
Mr. Kampouris also noted that POFEN proposed a collaboration between the government, universities, the Cyprus Land Development Organization (KOAG), local government, and private individuals to develop student housing on state- or university-owned land. At the same time, he highlighted the Federation’s proposals to grant the increased floor area ratio only when accompanied by a binding percentage of affordable units, the creation of a public registry of student housing with information on price, location, accessibility, and energy efficiency, provision of accessible rooms for people with disabilities and a small number of emergency beds for students facing a sudden housing crisis.
These recommendations, he continued, are part of a framework approved by POFEN and will be forwarded by the Federation’s new Secretariat to the relevant ministries in the coming days. He added that a meeting is scheduled between the POFEN Secretariat and the Ministers of Education, Finance, Transportation, and the Interior.
SOURCE: CNA
