As students, we are all too familiar with the constant juggling act of our finances. We are in a phase where every dollar counts, often having to choose one necessity over another. The excessive rent throughout Sydney increases our anxiety in such a situation. The average weekly rent in Sydney is around $700, higher than any other city in Australia. That means if you are a student working on a minimum wage, you probably live in a far-flung and remote area of Sydney. What have you sacrificed to pay your rent? While you think over your personal life, the research indicates that financial constraints force students to opt for a less nutritious diet.
Food security, the reliable access to enough nutritious and safe food for an active, healthy life, is a fundamental human right. Yet, the high cost of housing in Sydney often forces students to choose between paying rent and buying nutritious food. This can lead to a range of food insecurity issues, from mild concerns about food adequacy to severe cases where individuals skip meals or go hungry. The renowned human rights advocate and philosopher Henry Shue argues that nutrition is a fundamental right because its absence can impair our cognitive abilities and decision-making. Without proper nutrition, individuals may suffer from reduced productivity and an inability to participate meaningfully in society. He suggests that cognitive problems resulting from poor nutrition could make it harder to use any other rights that need logical thinking. For instance, students cannot properly exercise their right to education, as nutrition is critical for maintaining mental alertness during learning. Other rights affected include the ability to express and partake in labour.
If you are already exhausted before you even get to campus, that only compounds the problem, further draining your mental and physical energy. Inadequate energy levels result in a slower processing of information, difficulty staying attentive in lectures, and less motivation to work on assignments or study for exams. The result is terrible grades, which is a stressor in itself.
Sydney historically has a relatively mild climate, so older homes were often designed to focus on ventilation and cooling for the summer months rather than insulation for the cold winters. That has led to poorly insulated homes and unable to retain heat efficiently. If you are already struggling with household rent, keeping yourself warm during the winter is an additional burden. Heaps of research prove that cold homes from energy poverty threaten people’s health and well-being. It has been linked to increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression.
The upcoming SRC elections are a chance for the student body to install a representative who sincerely aims to strategise for housing justice and other housing-associated issues, including sexual assault. The ballot will be contested among three parties (Grassroots, Liberals, and NLS) on campus between September 24th and 26th. Among the competitors, the Grassroots fractions “for student housing” and “against landlords” are ardently zealous in opposing overpriced on- and off-campus accommodations. Their proposals aim to lower the cost of living on campus for students from all economic backgrounds and empower students against exploitative landlords. While the NLS and Liberal frontrunners have also promised to pitch sincere efforts towards student issues, they have yet to disclose a coherent policy to tackle ever increasing rent.
