People are getting older and living longer; more babies are being born than ever before and people are being drawn to the Australian lifestyle from all over the world. All of these factors have led to increasing strain on the housing market in Wollongong.
The University of Wollongong is located in the heart of the city, and students are keen to live on or around campus.
Kooloobong Village is one of the newest campus facilities, having opened in 2013. The village gives students the chance to “experience everything university has to offer,” according to an accommodation services representative.
“We offer various types of services including those straight out of home who can’t fend for themselves, all the way up to the self-sufficient,” she said.
These world-class services benefit students. There are more than 31,000 students enrolled, and there are plans for an apartment block with 215 units and 261 beds in Keiraville.
For now, many students, including those from over 140 countries, are without UOW accommodation.
The average weekly rent in Wollongong for a unit is $370. Students on youth allowance receive just over $400 a fortnight. This means many students are forced to share accommodation with other students or cannot move out of home at all.
