UCC-upying the quad
Up to 25 students are sleeping in tents on UCC’s iconic quad until the decision to raise rents is reversed.
The students began their sleep out, called Occupy the Quad, on Tuesday night to protest against the three per cent rent increase announced on UCC-owned accommodation. These students are demanding that the increase be reversed and a rent freeze on all UCC-owned accommodation be put in place for a period of three years. They don't intend on stopping their occupation until these demands are met.
Six of those sleeping out are members of the UCC Students’ Union (UCCSU) including its Communication Officer David Condon who told the Cork Independent that the student body has been very supportive since they began the protest.
Speaking yesterday, he said: “Students and staff have been coming over and offering their support. Security has also been good with us, they just want to make sure it’s peaceful, which it is and that nothing is damaged, which it won’t be. People have been offering money, food and hot drinks and are supporting us because they see how this is causing visible distress for students.”
UCC's decision to increase the rent in all of its accommodation complexes by three per cent would mean that the board of UCC Accommodation has increased the rent by 19 per cent in three years.
The UCCSU say this is a rate of increase it cannot stand by and support. David said that two representatives from UCCSU are on the accommodation board and have continuously urged the board not to proceed but to no avail.
“This may seem like an extreme action but it’s an extreme situation. The increase comes amid a food bank having to be established for students unable to buy the bare essentials and students have had to drop out because of the price of going to college.”
A statement from UCC said: “Any changes to campus accommodation rates are considered together with the student representatives who are members of the Campus Accommodation Board. UCC will continue to engage with the Students’ Union on issues of importance to the student body.
“UCC did not raise the cost of campus accommodation rents for two years up to 2018. Current campus accommodation rates are significantly below rates provided by private operators, and as part of the decision on 2020/21 rates, UCC has already committed to review the applicability of the 2020/21 increase for students in receipt of student assistance funding.
“Costs of maintaining and developing urgently required, high quality, student accommodation have risen. All profits generated, every year, are reinvested in providing high quality student accommodation and are typically used to cover the costs of refurbishment, security, maintenance and other operational costs associated with providing student accommodation – including servicing loan repayments for UCC’s existing student accommodation developments. Campus accommodation UCC is financially self-sufficient, and receives no State funding towards its efforts to create and maintain high-quality student accommodation at rates below the market average.”