Do the decisions of the Government’s spring session on spending limits aggravate you? Are you worried for your income due to the housing cuts ahead? Is moving to a tent the next unfortunate step? Come and protest against the housing supplement reform with us at Sorin aukio on Monday 29 April at 12-14! The event will feature speeches from students and protesting against the housing supplement reform. If you wish, you can bring a cardboard box or a tent to symbolically describe the weakening of student housing.
The Finnish Government, led by PM Petteri Orpo, has decided in the Government’s spring session on spending limits to deny general housing allowance from students and transfer us back to the housing supplement to student financial aid. The decision states that the maximum housing supplement is approximately 260 euros per month. In Tampere, for example, the change means a loss of income of more than 50 euros per month. The housing supplement to student financial aid was switched to general housing allowance in 2017. In the past 7 years, the building stock of cities has changed dramatically, and there simply aren’t enough affordable housing arrangements anymore.
The housing supplement to student financial aid model means that, in addition to severe cuts in student livelihood, the supplement of housing is tied to the use of study grant months. The lack of study grant months or available study periods results in the student not being able to withdraw the study grant in the summer – and thus not getting the housing supplement either. Social assistance is available to students only if they have taken out full student loans: the Government’s goal of 57 million euros in state savings is ultimately just a trick to transfer those millions to students’ personal debt.
We students are not resourceful enough to create affordable apartments from scratch, so living in a tent is probably the only option left.
More info: TREY’s Chair Noora Hakulinen (tel. 0503612845, noora.hakulinen@trey.fi)
The event is accessible.
TREY’s principles for safer spaces are followed in the event. The principles can be found on TREY’s website here. Let’s have fun and keep the event harassment-free. If you encounter unpleasant behavior or harassment, you can contact TREY’s harassment contact persons through hairinta@trey.fi. Harassment contact persons can also be reached via this Microsoft Forms contact form.