Limitations on access to housing: the case of university student tenants
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26885/rcei.14.e907Keywords:
rental market, university students, rent regulationAbstract
Although Paraguay has regulatory frameworks and public policies aimed at access to housing, various studies indicate that the effective implementation of these policies faces major structural challenges. The objective of this study was to characterize access to housing for university students who rent in the rental market. This exploratory, cross-sectional, quantitative study was conducted as a practical assignment of the Research I course of the second semester of the Social Work Program at the National University of Asuncion, FACSO-UNA. The sample of 126 students was obtained from the Faculties of Chemical Sciences, Engineering, Architecture, Polytechnic, FACEN, Philosophy, and FENOB of the National University of Asuncion. Fifty-six percent (70) said their rights were protected, 44% (56) said they were not, 96% (121) agreed with the law for tenants, the remaining 4% (5) did not, 33% (42) agreed with the request for a law, 67% (84) did not; 71% (89) had a rental contract, the remaining 29% (37) did not. 71% (89) signed a rental contract; the remaining 29% (37) did not. Of the total who had a contract (89), 96% (85) had the amount stipulated in it, 4% (4) did not; 30% (27) (89) said that the increase in the amount was stated. The law should mainly address non-discrimination/violence according to 33% (59), prices according to the area/size of the property 16.8% (30), and healthy conditions of the property 12.3% (22). Conclusion: More than half of the group studied was found to be in a vulnerable situation in terms of access to rental housing; their rights as tenants were not protected, a third did not have formal status in their location, and almost all demonstrated the need to protect their rights with a specific law.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Cristina Arrom Suhurt, Carmen Castillo, Verónica Flecha, Talía Velázquez Giménez
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