The situation prevailing in student dormitories and the serious problems that students face daily are described in stark terms by Kleidi Osmani, president of the residents’ association of the new NTUA student dormitories, speaking to Alexandros Klossa on “Parapolitika 90.1.”
As he noted on Monday morning (6/10): “The student housing problem is enormous. In Athens, dormitories cover less than 5% of needs, when students exceed 11,000. The Polytechnic dormitories accommodate approximately 500 people, while applications are many times more numerous.”
“Student housing is not a luxury, it’s a necessity”: NTUA dorm president on Parapolitika 90.1
He referred to the underfunding of recent years, which has left behind serious shortages: “We have problems with heating and hot water. There are entire buildings without hot water, forcing students to go to shared bathrooms. Right now about 10 washing machines are operating for 500 people – and we consider this a good period, because there were times when even fewer were working.”
At the same time, he emphasized the danger from poor infrastructure: “With the first rain, ceilings leak and water runs next to electrical outlets. We’re not just talking about shortages; we’re talking about problems that endanger our lives.” The dorm president also made it clear that students oppose the commercialization of housing: “We are not open to the possibility of private dormitories. Our need for housing cannot be turned into a field of profiteering,” he said.
Sharp criticism of the prime minister
In closing, he leveled sharp criticism at the prime minister, who speaking at the ONNED congress stated that student housing is a priority: “The prime minister is mocking us when he says such a thing. If it were truly a priority, we wouldn’t be living under these conditions.”
