The student union at the Atlantic Technological University in Letterkenny have issued an SOS to local homeowners ahead of a pending accommodation crisis.
Students arriving back or starting at the campus in September already face a shortage of places to rent in the town.
Up to 4,000 students will attend the ATU in September with 800 of those being first year students, many of them from outside Donegal.
With few houses or apartments to let, student leaders are now engaged in leaflet drops in a bid to compile a student accommodation list.
As well as houses and apartments, members of the public are also being urged to consider offering student digs to those coming from other parts of the country to study at the ATU.
Immanuel Jayden Chirwa, Letterkenny ATU’s Welfare/Equality Officer told Donegal Daily that they are anticipating an even bigger demand for accommodation this year.
He said “The reality is that we simply don’t have enough accommodation in the town. We now have the added issue of many Ukrainian people seeking accommodation because of the conflict there.
“We are trying to put a list together early in an effort to sort out as many students as we can. A lot of students who are starting college in September have already contacted us and we can try to give them names and number of possible houses or flats.”
Immanuel and his colleagues have undertaken a leaflet run (see above) to raise awareness of the need for student accommodation with posters placed in many shops and restaurants.
He said they are particularly appealing to local families who may wish to offer a room in their home or digs for students arriving form other parts of the country.
He added “It’s a real possibility for many families whose own family may have grown up and left home. Many students go home on a Thursday so only spend half the week in accommodation so they are not a burden to homeowners.
“It’s also a decent source of revenue for families who have an empty bedroom so it could be a win win for both the students and the families.
“We insist that the families meet the student first and then decide if they still want to go ahead with the agreement.
“With the lack of accommodation by the way of flats or houses, digs is a real option for many students and it can work out really well for them.”
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