Finding an affordable monthly rental room in Agadir has become a significant hurdle for many young individuals aspiring to study at Ibn Zohr University. This predicament has led some students to travel only for exams, while others have abandoned their studies entirely. In light of this challenge, various voices are urging the relevant authorities to provide solutions to a problem that burdens families, who had hoped to see their children achieve their dream of higher education.
Mohamed Aouad, a student at Ibn Zohr University, shared with Le360 that young people arriving from different provinces of Souss-Massa and beyond are confronted with exorbitant prices from the moment they arrive. A room in a three-bedroom apartment costs between 1,500 and 2,000 dirhams per month, fees that he believes make student life unbearable. These inflated prices force some students to seek more affordable accommodation in distant neighborhoods, resulting in lengthy commutes that add to their academic pressures. Others limit their attendance to exam periods only.
There are also those who abandon their education altogether and begin working in agricultural fields in Chtouka or in various businesses, restaurants, and cafes in Agadir to support themselves and assist their parents, who live in precarious conditions. Aouad warns that this situation contributes to university dropouts, which in turn exacerbates unemployment and leads to serious social issues such as crime, homelessness, and theft.
The student holds the outgoing government accountable for failing to provide the country with sufficient university housing. He also criticizes the concentration of faculties in large cities, which forces young individuals from smaller towns and rural areas to travel long distances to continue their education.
Challenges in Securing Affordable Accommodation
Aouad attributes the skyrocketing rental prices to various factors, including speculation and the actions of intermediaries who dominate the market without proper oversight from the relevant authorities. He also notes the rise of short-term apartment rentals, with prices sometimes exceeding 500 dirhams per night. This practice further diminishes the availability of monthly rentals at prices that students can afford.
In light of these circumstances, Aouad implores the incoming government to take responsibility and implement effective solutions to a recurring problem each academic year. Abdelaziz Ouaâthmane, a new student at Ibn Zohr University, shares a similar assessment. Having arrived in Azrou Aït Melloul to pursue his studies after obtaining his high school diploma in Taliouine, Taroudant province, he reports encountering high costs for all his needs, particularly housing, and has thus far been unable to find a room.
In an interview with Le360, he warns that the number of young people dropping out of higher education continues to rise in a context marked by increasing costs of living and daily expenses. The student faces a reality that hinders his attendance in classes and his ability to build the future he desires. Ouaâthmane cautions that the persistence of this situation will have grave consequences for society in the medium and long term.
Meanwhile, Aziza Othmani, an activist in Agadir, describes the prices of apartments in neighborhoods like Salam, Jit Sakan, Dakhla, Tamdid, and Al Qods as "outrageous." These rates have compelled her to personally drive her children to university every day, despite living far from the campus. Othmani questions the roles of various stakeholders in the face of the "exorbitant" rental hikes, which have made finding accommodation an unattainable goal for many students during a course of study that typically lasts no more than three years.
Samir Akarzabi, a real estate intermediary in Agadir, explains that the price increases are due to numerous investors deliberately keeping their properties off the market. The result is a high demand against a limited supply. Akarzabi expresses regret at seeing students accompanied by their parents searching futilely for a place to live.
As reported by es.le360.ma.
