Robbie Davidson, Manchester Socialist Students
The University of Manchester has announced that the rents will more than double at three student housing complexes in Fallowfield: Oak House, Owen’s Park, and Woolton Hall.
Following the success of last year’s student rent strike in Manchester, rents in Fallowfield were reduced by 30%, standing out against the cost-of-living crisis.
The complex also hosts the cheapest venue for students in the city by far, Squirrels Bar. Squirrels will also be demolished, chipping away at our ability to socialise affordably.
Labour disgrace
Combined with Labour’s disgraceful hike in tuition fees, the rent hike means students in Oak House will pay almost £5,000 more per year. This is amidst already brutal conditions for many young people, with average expenditure far exceeding student loans.
Food bank use amongst students stands at record highs, as do the rates of self-harm and suicide. But the bosses at the University of Manchester are using the people they are supposed to look after as a tool to close the funding gap left by a decade and a half of austerity.
Socialist Students is demanding that rents are not doubled, and that they remain at a fixed, stable rate. We believe that high-quality, affordable housing must be made available to all, overseen by a democratic body of students, staff, and the community, who decide how our homes are priced.
The rent rises will come after the student blocks are redeveloped. Regeneration of the complex is necessary, it is falling apart. Students face regular infestations, broken amenities, and share a few dozen washing machines between thousands of people.
Multimillion privatisation
Regeneration, while keeping rents stable, is not possible with a multimillion pound contract with a private construction company. But a nationalised building service, under the democratic control of working people, would be able to do that.
We demand that Squirrels, and other affordable venues, are protected, allowing students to relax and socialise, without further straining our cost of living.
This attack can only be fought by a unified response, bringing together students, trade unions, and campus activist groups. To achieve this, Socialist Students is calling for a general meeting that everyone can attend to discuss the fight back – not just to protect a few blocks, but to fight for the funding our universities need, out of the pockets of the super-rich.
