New National Union of Students Cymru research reveals 32% of Welsh students are struggling to pay rent every month, with 11% of those relying on foodbanks.
Today, the National Union of Students Cymru has released the results of a survey into students and apprentices’ experience of the housing system.
- 32% of students have less than £100 per month after paying their monthly housing costs with 1 in 10 students using foodbanks.
- 32% of students have also gone without heating to cut back costs
- 19% have missed an in-person class due not being able to afford transport.
- 90% of those who have had difficulties paying housing costs have accessed additional financial support such as loans from family, credit cards and accessing savings
- 87% of student renters have experienced some sort of issue in their accommodation such as lack of heating, damp, plumbing and noise with 50% of these experiencing mould/mildew.
NUS Cymru has conducted this research across universities and colleges in Wales, in the context of a mass campaign from the student movement across the UK against discriminatory practices, extortionate rents, poor living conditions and other inequities in the housing system which are causing hardship, distress and suffering.
Student campaigners have been calling to make it illegal for landlords to require tenants to have a UK-based guarantor who either owns property or earns over a certain amount of money. 25% of Welsh students who needed to secure a guarantor, indicated it caused them a great deal of stress to some extent. The renters who didn’t find the process stressful were mainly able to rely on parental support.
Difficulties and stress caused by the guarantor requirement were particularly prevalent amongst international and low-income students, who generally do not have access to the same funds or security net that others may.
Last month, leaders from more than 50 students’ unions across the UK came together at Westminster to meet MPs for an NUS National Lobby Day to discuss the issue of student housing and raise the significant impact guarantor requirements have on students.
Commenting, NUS Cymru President Deio Owen said:
“These findings provide a stark insight into the state of student housing in Wales. We know how bad it is, yet we are still to see meaningful action to get students out of mouldy, damp and cold houses”
“The fact that around a quarter of students are left with less than a £100 a month after housing costs alone, once we take into account the cost-of-living crisis and ever increasing prices, demonstrates how students need support now”
"It's simply unacceptable that so many students are struggling to afford basic necessities like food and rent.
“We’re seeing a generation of students being failed as they study, with insufficient housing, concerns around their tuition fees, less money in their pockets and uncertainty about their futures. We need to see student thriving in their education with proper support in place.”
“We know that the use of foodbanks is on the rise nationally, and we’re also seeing that trend in students. Almost every students’ union in Welsh universities now have a food bank of some kind, where students often turn to in order to get the essentials.”
“With a white paper on adequate housing making its way through the Senedd, we hope that this will focus on protecting students' living, learning and social conditions, and we look forward to submitting a response to this white paper”
Commenting, NUS UK President, Amira Campbell, said:
“The results of this research lay bare what we sadly already knew; students and apprentices across the UK are suffering at the hands of a housing system predicated on exploitation and profit extraction.
“We should be ashamed as a society that we are allowing policies like the requirement for a UK based guarantor to stand as a barrier in the way of our most vulnerable students having a safe and secure place to live.
“Our country’s unfair and inequitable housing system is limiting students and apprentices from feeling part of their communities. We need urgent action from the UK Government, and devolved governments in all the nations across the UK, to fix this system and help student renters.”
The full report is available here
Mae ymchwil newydd gan Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru yn datgelu bod 32% o fyfyrwyr Cymru yn cael trafferth talu rhent bob mis, gyda 11% o’r rheiny’n dibynnu ar fanciau bwyd.
Heddiw, mae Undeb Cenedlaethol Myfyrwyr Cymru wedi rhyddhau canlyniadau arolwg o brofiad myfyrwyr a phrentisiaid o’r system dai a llety.
- Canfu’r arolwg fod 32% o fyfyrwyr yn ceisio byw a lai na £100 y mis ar ôl talu eu costau llety misol, gydag 1 o bob 10 myfyriwr yn defnyddio banciau bwyd.
- Mae 32% o fyfyrwyr hefyd wedi mynd heb wresogi er mwyn arbed costau
- Mae 19% wedi methu dosbarth wyneb-yn-wyneb oherwydd na allant fforddio teithio i’r safle.
- Mae 90% o’r rhai sydd wedi’i chael yn anodd talu costau tai wedi cael cymorth ariannol ychwanegol fel benthyciadau gan deulu, wedi defnyddio cardiau credyd neu gynilion.
- Mae 87% o fyfyrwyr sy’n rhentu wedi profi rhyw fath o broblem yn eu llety megis diffyg gwres, lleithder, problemau plymio a sŵn, gyda 50% o’r rhain â llwydni yn eu cartrefi.
Mae UCM Cymru wedi cynnal yr ymchwil hwn ar draws prifysgolion a cholegau yng Nghymru, yng nghyd-destun ymgyrch eang gan fudiad y myfyrwyr ar draws y DU yn erbyn arferion camwahaniaethol, rhenti gormodol, amodau byw gwael ac anghydraddoldebau eraill yn y system dai sy’n achosi caledi, trallod a dioddefaint.
Mae myfyrwyr sy’n ymgyrchu wedi bod yn galw i’w gwneud yn anghyfreithlon i landlordiaid ei gwneud yn ofynnol i denantiaid fod â gwarantwr o’r DU sydd naill ai’n berchen ar eiddo neu’n ennill dros swm penodol o arian. Dywedodd 25% o fyfyrwyr Cymru oedd angen sicrhau gwarantwr fod hyn wedi achosi cryn lawer o straen iddynt. Y rhentwyr nad oeddent yn teimlo bod y broses yn peri straen oedd y rhai oedd yn gallu dibynnu ar gymorth gan eu rhieni.
Roedd yr anawsterau a’r straen a achoswyd gan yr angen i ddarparu gwarantwr yn arbennig o gyffredin ymhlith myfyrwyr rhyngwladol a’r rhai o gefndir incwm isel, nad oes ganddynt yn gyffredinol fynediad i’r un faint o arian neu rwyd diogelwch a all fod gan fyfyrwyr eraill.
Fis diwethaf, daeth arweinwyr o fwy na 50 o undebau myfyrwyr ar draws y DU at ei gilydd yn San Steffan i gwrdd ag ASau ar gyfer Diwrnod Lobi Cenedlaethol UCM i drafod mater tai myfyrwyr a thynnu sylw at yr effaith sylweddol y mae’r angen i ddarparu gwarantwyr yn ei chael ar fyfyrwyr.
Meddai Llywydd UCM Cymru, Deio Owen:
“Mae'r canfyddiadau hyn yn rhoi cipolwg brawychus ar gyflwr tai myfyrwyr yng Nghymru. Rydyn ni'n gwybod pa mor ddrwg yw’r sefyllfa, ond eto i gyd nid ydym wedi gweld gweithredu ystyrlon i gael myfyrwyr allan o dai llaith ac oer sy’n llawn llwydni.”
“Mae’r ffaith bod gan tua chwarter y myfyrwyr lai na £100 y mis yn eu pocedi ar ôl talu costau llety, pan ystyriwn yr argyfwng costau byw a phrisiau cynyddol, yn dangos sut mae myfyrwyr angen cymorth nawr.”
“Mae’n gwbl annerbyniol bod cymaint o fyfyrwyr yn cael trafferth fforddio hanfodion sylfaenol fel bwyd a rhent.
“Rydym yn gweld cenhedlaeth o fyfyrwyr yn cael eu methu wrth iddynt astudio, gyda thai annigonol, pryderon am eu ffioedd dysgu, llai o arian yn eu pocedi ac ansicrwydd am eu dyfodol. Mae angen i ni weld myfyrwyr yn ffynnu yn eu haddysg gyda chefnogaeth briodol ar gael iddynt.”
“Rydyn ni’n gwybod bod y defnydd o fanciau bwyd ar gynnydd yn genedlaethol, ac rydyn ni hefyd yn gweld y duedd honno ymhlith myfyrwyr. Mae gan bron bob undeb myfyrwyr ym mhrifysgolion Cymru bellach fanc bwyd o ryw fath, lle mae myfyrwyr yn aml yn troi er mwyn cael gafael ar yr hanfodion.”
“Gyda phapur gwyn ar dai digonol yn gwneud ei ffordd trwy’r Senedd, rydym yn gobeithio y bydd hwn yn canolbwyntio ar amddiffyn amodau byw, dysgu a chymdeithasol myfyrwyr, ac edrychwn ymlaen at gyflwyno ymateb i’r papur gwyn hwn.”
Meddai Llywydd UCM y DU, Amira Campbell:
“Roedd canlyniadau’r ymchwil hwn yn datgelu’r hyn yr oeddem yn ei wybod eisoes yn anffodus; mae myfyrwyr a phrentisiaid ledled y DU yn dioddef oherwydd system dai sy’n seiliedig ar gamfanteisio a gwneud elw.
“Dylem deimlo cywilydd fel cymdeithas ein bod yn caniatáu i bolisïau fel y gofyniad am warantwr o’r DU sefyll fel rhwystr rhag i’n myfyrwyr mwyaf bregus gael lle diogel i fyw ynddo.
“Mae system dai annheg ac anghyfartal ein gwlad yn cyfyngu ar allu myfyrwyr a phrentisiaid i deimlo’n rhan o’u cymunedau. Mae arnom angen gweithredu brys gan Lywodraeth y DU, yn ogystal â llywodraethau datganoledig ym mhob gwlad ar draws y DU, i drwsio’r system hon a helpu myfyrwyr sy’n rhentu.”
