– I cried several days in a row – VG

MO I RANA (VG) There are thousands on the student housing waiting list. Emma Johansson thought about sharing a bedroom with strangers to get a roof over her head.

Between the mountain and the thatched houses of the Old Town, Emma Johansen (19) stands on the promenade behind Haffmannen. “Mo Rana’s pride” as she calls it.

If you follow the mountain over the town’s new ski jump, and about 1,000 more kilometers, you’ll find the Storbyuniversitetet OsloMet in Pilistredet.

Here you await studies of occupational therapy, cultural performances and new friendships. It’s time to try new things, she says.

The problem is that she can’t find a place to live. People in Oslo also need a roof over their heads.

Johanssen walks slowly and takes her time with VG along the pearls of her hometown while she talks about her search for housing in the capital.

– Look calm?

– I’m so nervous and screaming for days in a row. Complete mental breakdown. Then my mum is the one who calms me down and says he is fine.

Prices are amazing

Johansson is on vacation, but has been up since 6 a.m. to look for accommodation. Within five days, I sent 25 messages and received five answers.

– I sat almost all yesterday. There are plenty of ads to review, review and write to.

Only one display to display digitally. A bedroom costs 7000 NOK per month. For a thousand kronor less, at the time of writing you get a dormitory with its own kitchen and bathroom in Mo i Rana.

– It was a little more expensive than I imagined. I realize I may have to increase my budget to get something decent.

– Is anything okay?

Yes, a little more space than sitting on the bed for office use. I want to feel comfortable in my room.

In 2022 is Fewer homes are on the market and rental rates have risen sharply.

Johansen noted that she struggles to compete against those who are physically present at the shows in Oslo. For the weekend, she was going on a camping trip to Gothenburg.

– Then the plan is to stop in Oslo for two days to go to the shows, she says.

Unusually long queues

Since 2018, the average price for a shared room in Oslo on Hybel.no has increased by 606 NOK. From 5,868 to 6,474 per month, figures are from the site.

For most, electricity and other charges are added. With a student loan, you have 10,529 NOK to live on per month. After you pay the rent, the loan should cover food, phone subscriptions, clothing, health care, and other expenses.

She applied for student housing in Oslo already in March, but has yet to receive a response.

“There are a lot of people involved,” Andreas Eskelund, Managing Director of the Students’ Union of Oslo (SIO) wrote to VG.

SIO has about 9,000 student dormitories in total. Not everyone is free this year. As of July 15, there were 6,321 students on the waiting list.

At least 13,000 students are queuing for student housing at student associations in Norway, VG reported on July 7.

The Students’ Union in Western Norway is reporting unusually long waiting lists. Of the 6,300 beds, they had 2,300 beds available to them. Many of them are still on the waiting list.

intimate layout

Finn.no 314 offers visiting rooms in shared apartments in Oslo. Half the cost of NOK 7000 or more per month. Ten rooms cost less than 5000.

– There are some of these where you can share a bedroom with someone else too. I think there’s always a possibility if I don’t find anything, says Johansen.

– What is the plan if you find nothing to start your studies?

– Then I think I’ll keep going down there and crash on my best friend’s sofa and keep looking. Perhaps I will get to know more people who have nowhere to live.

– Don’t go up

Alexander Forsbach (19), also from Mo I Rana, was given a place to study and student housing in Stavanger. He has until July 24 to say yes or no.

But he is thinking of traveling in a different direction from the West: he is thinking of going to Oslo for film and media projects.

– The whole circle of friends moved to Oslo. There I know a lot of people who do the same things as me.

In fact, the plan was to move to Oslo about five months ago. Then he could not rent a house because he did not have a business there yet.

– …and to get a job in Oslo, it is preferable to live in Oslo. It doesn’t quite work out, says Forsbach.

Now, perhaps, an acquaintance was able to help him with a job in a photoshop.

– Then he will sleep on a friend’s sofa until I find my own place to live.

VG is on a motorhome tour around Norway! Let us know here if you know something interesting that we can write about from your area. We are now in Nordland and Trondelag, next week we are going to Sauerland.