Did you know that there are student representatives on the SGS board?

Tell us about your mission for SGS Studentbostäder and our tenants!

We are the GFS presidium! Together, we lead the work of all the student unions in Gothenburg on student-relevant issues that are not directly related to the universities. These are issues such as finance, student housing, healthcare, mental health, and other matters where the city, region, state, and business sector are involved.

How does your work and position on the board ensure security for our tenants regarding the annual rent negotiations?

We appoint parts of the SGS board (Vice Chairperson, two members and two substitutes) and have a responsibility to ensure that our representatives have the students' best interests in mind. As co-founders and partners, we also maintain a continuous dialogue with SGS management and the organization to ensure that rent adjustments and the quality of student housing are taken into consideration. So when you are a member of one of the student unions, you are also represented on the SGS board through GFS.

Do you receive questions about rent from your members, and how do you address them?

Rent is always a relevant topic in our discussions with students about their housing, but also about their finances. We strive to ensure that all students in Gothenburg have a reasonable and secure housing situation. At the same time, we have a responsibility to look at students' housing situations from a long-term perspective. This means we must ensure that today's economic situation does not punish future students or that the quality of our members' housing is reduced as a consequence of financial difficulties.

We often see a lot of concern from members asking about rent and housing but also that it can be difficult to understand where their rent money goes. We want our members to have as much knowledge as possible about their housing situation and therefore strive, both independently and in collaboration with actors like SGS, to inform more about how the student housing market in Gothenburg works as well as the challenges we face.

How do you think we can work together to reassure students who are worried about rising rent costs?

We believe it is important that all parties involved in this issue take responsibility, both for the rent levels a student can expect, but most importantly, to put the student at the center. We think this is best done by informing about each party's perspective and standpoint on the issue and being transparent about the reasons behind any increases or opposition to increases. Additionally, the students' voice needs to have a strong and central role in this dialogue. For us, student representation on this issue is crucial, and we would very much like to see it come from a grassroots level, where our members get the chance to contribute their perspectives.