Costs Force Vic Students Into Boxes

Out of control costs force Vic students into boxes.

Friday, 3 August 2007

Victoria University students are raising awareness about the unchecked increases in the cost of living by building a protest box city in the Kelburn campus quad next Wednesday the 8th.

"When we talk about the out of control cost of living, we're talking about students, low paid workers, beneficiaries, we're talking about anyone who is being stung right now by the recent phenomenal increases in rent, everyone I know is feeling the pinch, it's not just a student issue." Says VUWSA Campaigns Officer Tai Neilson.

"Luckily I've got a flat, but I've got friends who are looking for somewhere to live and they're competing with 80 other people for a spare room. We were joking when we first talked about living in boxes, but it got serious pretty quick when we realised that's not far off reality for a whole bunch of students." Tai says.

On Wednesday from midday onwards students will be combining fridge boxes together with plasma TV boxes (the boxes being the closest students will get) to create impromptu shanty houses. Student newspaper Salient is setting up a box, as is the local radio station the VBC amongst other groups.

VUWSA Education Vice-President Joel Cosgrove has been talking with hostel students about the event and the overwhelming response from students has surprised him "I know it's an issue, but above everything else the issue these students are most concerned about is how much it will cost them next year, I was talking with students in one hostel who pay $260 with power etc. on top. A lot of these students are wondering if they will actually find a flat for under $150, affordable housing is being talked about in the same way as free education and that's not good enough."

Joel has dealt with students who commute from the Kapiti Coast and Upper Hutt due to the cost and inaccessibility of Wellington housing. "There are a lot of people out there, who've actively come up to me in the street when I've been putting posters for Box City up to talk about their frustration. People are feeling marginalised and something needs to be done about it.

ENDS

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