University loses more than $60,000 as students strike against ‘insane’ prices

The University of Auckland - Waipapa Taumata Rau has lost nearly $70,000 as students head into the seventh day of a rent strike.

That number is only set to rise, as students withhold their rent from the University until further notice. With over 180 students living in halls of residence taking part in the strike, the University has lost around $10,000 per day.

The strike, organised by Students for Fair Rent, is in response to the steep price hikes to the cost of halls in 2024.

The price of accommodation has risen by eight per cent annually since 2020. Last year inflation was only four per cent.

Lee says that despite their campaign which began in July of last year, a direct letter to the chancellor and a petition signed by one 1,500 students, no action has been taken by the university.

“The University has a responsibility to engage with students, they haven’t been doing that and that’s why we’re going on strike.

“That’s [withholding rent] where our power lies.”

This strike isn’t the first of its kind, with students at Te Herenga Waka - Victoria University of Wellington threatening a similar strike in 2020.

Lee says that their campaign is inspired by actions like these.

Currently, only 181 of the 5,400 students living in halls are taking part in the strike.

But Lee says it's not numbers that will have the most powerful impact in this campaign.

“I don’t think there’s a specific number we need to be successful. I think that every day that we’re striking, even with a small amount of people, we’re taking a huge amount of money from the University.

“What’s more important is how public the rent strike has been and how much coverage it’s been getting, and support from the public.”

Waipārūrū resident Najma Noor is taking part in the strike and echoed Lee’s sentiment.

“I keep reminding myself that there is power in numbers. Although cliche, the more of us that strike, the more power we have collectively.”

The University wouldn’t disclose to Te Waha Nui the specific action that it would take against striking students. However Lee says they have told other media outlets they are threatening expulsion and the withholding of exam results. This has not been communicated to SFR themselves.

Najma, who joined the strike because of what she calls the ‘absurd’ price of halls, says she’s not concerned.

“I am not worried about being kicked out. It is insanely bad PR for a university to kick out their students and leave them homeless, especially with exams so soon and how public this campaign has been so far. “

She added the multiple reasons she felt the strike was vital.

“[It costs] around 24 hours of work at minimum wage to live in Waipārūrū Hall and I don’t know how any student could sustain that without it having severe impacts on their academics and mental health.

“Cost of accommodation should not be a barrier to anyone's education.”

A spokesperson for the University of Auckland says they are unable to subsidise accommodation, saying the cost would fall on students who weren’t living in accommodation.

“We would be asking around 41,000 students to subsidise this accommodation, which would have a significant impact on equity and place further financial pressures on students not using the accommodation.”