Room offers sought for "Living for Help

This winter semester, first-year students will once again have a hard time finding accommodation. The Studentenwerk SH appeals to citizens to provide housing for students in Kiel and the surrounding area as part of its "Housing for Help" project.

The problem is not new and gets worse every year at the start of the winter semester: students have to embark on a lengthy search for affordable housing. The nine halls of residence with around 2,000 places of the Studentenwerk SH in Kiel are already occupied. Around 1,000 students are currently on the waiting list. The flats in privately run halls of residence are often unaffordable for students, as are the rents on the free housing market.

"That's why we are desperately looking for private rooms," explains Alexandra Dreibach from the Studentenwerk SH. Since 2012, she has coordinated the social housing project "Living for Help". She arranges housing partnerships between students and senior citizens, families or people with disabilities. The special thing about it: Students do not pay rent and instead provide practical help such as cooking, mowing the lawn or babysitting. The rule of thumb is one hour of help per month for one square metre of living space.

According to Dreibach, it is often older or single people who like to take advantage of the "Wohnen für Hilfe" offer. They live in spacious flats or houses and can no longer perform daily tasks, especially physical tasks, on their own. Student Wohnpartner:innen not only provide valuable support in everyday life, but also companionship. "The students in turn have an affordable roof over their heads as well as a social reference person," says the coordinator. "Especially for first-semester students who have just left their parents' home, a housing partnership offers support and a feeling of being at home."

The general conditions for a housing partnership are determined individually in a personal interview. Alexandra Dreibach uses application forms to select the ideal couples. The project is financially supported by the state of Schleswig-Holstein. In the past, hundreds of partnerships have been successfully arranged and an important signal has been sent against the shortage of student housing in Kiel.

Private individuals or institutions that have a room available and would like to support the project should contact Alexandra Dreibach at (0431) 88 16-314 or wohnenfuerhilfe@studentenwerk.sh. The meeting of the housing couples takes place under the current hygiene measures. Students looking for accommodation can also contact Ms Dreibach. Further information on the project and the application forms are available at https://studentenwerk.sh/de/wohnen-fuer-hilfe.