Member of parliament and Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale joined Bournemouth University for a talk on student safety and housing.
Bournemouth West MP Jessica Toale visited Bournemouth University on Friday 2nd of March for a conversation about housing, safety, and the cost of living for students.
Concerns were raised over the safety of the areas around Talbot and Lansdowne campus, as well as student accommodations.
There were also worries about the lack of a police presence in these areas.
Mrs Toale said she was “interested in increasing safety in walking paths” and added “A big problem in the local area is there is not much trust in the police.”
Insecurity issues around renting were also raised. Many students, particularly international students, expressed worry about the common guarantor requirement when renting a property.
Many estate agents do not accept renters if they do not have a ‘suitable’ guarantor and often do not accept guarantor companies.
This is often unknown to first time renters, such as students.
Mrs Toale said that the guarantor requirement “is frankly discriminatory.” She also said, “change will take time, we feel the same frustrations as you.”
Mental health challenges for students were addressed, with calls for better mental health provision.
Student Minds, a mental health charity, claim that around 30 percent of university students suffer from mental health issues.
The Bournemouth University retreat has also seen around 3000 cases in 3 years of operation.
Mrs Toale said, “mental health should be prevented before it needs to be treated” and “there will be an uplift in funding for local GP’s.”