If the current market trend of rising housing rental in Singapore is anything to go by, the shortfall in meeting housing demand this year in NUS is no surprise.

Local and foreign students are competing for limited low-priced and relatively convenient on and off-campus housing. 

According to Esther Toh, assistant manager of Office of Student Affairs, NUS has about 33,000 graduate and undergraduate students and about 20 percent are foreigners.

Kwek Puay Swan, deputy director of International Relations Office, said foreign students in particular are most affected by housing issues, but the waiting list of housing applicants consist of both local and foreign students. 

She said, “IRO has been informed on housing shortage and it has an impact on foreign students.” 

“Even local students badly want a place on campus,” Kwek added. “But we (at IRO) undertake to assist exchange students to apply for housing.”

Off-campus yo:HA @ 190 Hostel in Boon Lay is used to house about 300 foreign students on exchange programmes to NUS. 

However, students staying in the Boon Lay hostel have been experiencing limited shuttle buses to and from campus, and slow internet access during the day in the hostel. 

Tan Ern Ser, associate professor and vice-dean of students, explained that offering off-campus housing is a way NUS is helping these exchange students, and are looking into ways to improve their living conditions. 

Tan said exchange students were not restricted to housing offered by the university but could locate housing on their own. 

“We wanted to help students out if not they would need to find their own housing,” he said. 

Kwek said, “Half the equation is also their choice. Each party will assist in helping students find housing.” 

Serena Lim, head of residential life and services, said OSA addressed the issues faced by students of Boon Lay hostel by holding a dialogue with them and distributing surveys to gather feedback. 

“We do dialogues with the students (at Boon Lay hostel) and we’re trying to meet their expectations. It’s more about managing expectations,” Lim said. “We are adjusting the timing and frequency (of the shuttle buses) but we cannot cater to everyone.” 

Tan said, “As for the internet, we got the computer centre people down to enhance the system.” 

Arrangements for foreign students staying at Boon Lay hostel are in accordance with the NUS Student Exchange Programme Agreement. One of the clauses states that the “host university will make every reasonable effort to provide university-approved or suitable accommodation on or off-campus.”

It also states that accommodation is “not guaranteed,” but the university must offer the housing at “student rates” that are affordable. 

Tan added that local students going on overseas exchange programmes should expect to find their own housing and not be provided for by their host university. 

This agreement is acknowledged by about 180 universities around the world.