{"id":141,"date":"2026-06-27T14:51:35","date_gmt":"2026-06-27T13:51:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=141"},"modified":"2026-06-27T14:51:35","modified_gmt":"2026-06-27T13:51:35","slug":"a-roof-over-their-heads-the-housing-struggles-of-delsu-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=141","title":{"rendered":"A Roof Over Their Heads: The Housing Struggles of DELSU Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

BY FRANCISCA UNUTAME<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For many students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, gaining admission into the institution is a dream come true. However, beyond the excitement of academic pursuits lies a major challenge that many students must confront: securing decent accommodation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The search for housing in Abraka has become a frustrating experience for many students who are forced to navigate high rental costs, dishonest agents, poor living conditions, and the stress of balancing accommodation searches with academic responsibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Eneh Amarachi, a 100-level Sociology student, finding a place to live was anything but easy. What began as a hopeful search for a comfortable apartment quickly turned into weeks of disappointment and frustration. “It wasn’t easy at all,” she recalled. “I had to miss classes just to search for a house because what agents advertise is often different from what you eventually get.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Amarachi, transportation expenses and consultation fees added to the burden. She explained that some agents charged consultation fees of up to \u20a68,000, excluding transportation costs incurred while inspecting properties. Her experience reflects a common complaint among students in the university community. Many arrive with expectations shaped by attractive online videos and photographs, only to discover that the actual apartments fall far below what was advertised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eventually, Amarachi settled for an apartment that was not the exact one she had been shown. Although it was within the same compound, the room differed significantly from what she had expected.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The apartment I got was not the one in the video. I was told the previous tenant had just moved out, and I had little choice but to accept it,” she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The challenges did not end there. Upon moving in, she discovered several issues that required immediate attention. She had to spend additional money repainting parts of the apartment, repairing damaged walls, fixing sections of the ceiling, and renovating the kitchen cabinet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite these setbacks, Amarachi remains optimistic. She noted that living off campus allows her greater freedom to manage her side businesses as a makeup artist, hairstylist, and chef while pursuing her studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

READ ALSO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

DELSU SUG Tackles Academic Decline with \u2018CGPA Recovery Initiative\u2019 for Junior Students<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hope Rises for 160 Beneficiaries As Church Organises Free Medical Outreach in Abraka<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Doubts, Criticisms Trail Tinubu\u2019s Acclaimed 10 Million Votes Amid Nigeria\u2019s Rising Voter Apathy<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nigeria\u2019s Growing Insecurity Crisis: A Threat We Can No Longer Ignore<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A similar story was shared by Eljim Elijah, a 200-level Fine and Applied Arts student, who described the housing search process as stressful and misleading. According to Elijah, one of the most frustrating aspects of searching for accommodation is dealing with agents who exaggerate the quality of available apartments. “Most agents post attractive videos online, but when you get there physically, the reality is completely different,” he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He lamented the widespread practice of charging consultation fees before students are allowed to inspect properties. In many cases, students pay these fees only to discover that the houses do not meet basic standards. “The consultation fees are often wasted because the houses we are shown are usually not worth the money,” Elijah explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beyond the financial burden, Elijah highlighted other factors students must consider before renting a house, including water supply, electricity, security, waste disposal, and proximity to campus. These factors, he noted, significantly affect students’ comfort and academic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For Mary, a 400-Level student of the Department of English Education, securing a place to stay in Abraka was one of the most difficult experiences she faced as a fresher. Coming all the way from Lagos, Mary arrived in Abraka with little knowledge of the town and no one to assist her in her search for accommodation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determined to settle down before academic activities began, she made the decision to resume earlier than most students. \u201cI had to resume school before the official resumption date so that I could balance my house search with my studies,\u201d she recalled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to her, several people advised her to arrive before other students resumed. They believed that getting accommodation would be easier before the influx of students into the town. Looking back, Mary admits that the advice proved valuable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The search, however, was far from easy. Like many freshers unfamiliar with Abraka, she relied on agents to help her secure accommodation. Unfortunately, her first experience was disappointing. \u201cThe first agent kept taking me to houses that were far from the school and not really nice,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hoping for better results, Mary sought the services of another agent. However, the second agent\u2019s efforts were not much different from the first. Despite the setbacks, she remained persistent and eventually found a house within two weeks of searching. While securing accommodation brought relief, another challenge soon emerged. The house that seemed suitable at first turned out to have a major problem lack of electricity. \u201cI was told that the area had a steady power supply, but throughout the two years I lived there, there was no electricity,\u201d she said. The situation made daily living difficult, affecting comfort and convenience. What was expected to be a conducive living environment became a source of frustration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Mary no longer lives in the house, but her experience highlights the realities many students face when searching for accommodation in university communities. Her story serves as a reminder that beyond the challenge of finding a house, students often have to contend with issues such as unreliable utilities, misleading information, and the stress of adapting to a new environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For fresher\u2019s arriving in Abraka, Mary\u2019s journey underscores the importance of early preparation, patience, and proper investigation before securing accommodation.<\/a>Both students agreed that transportation remains another major challenge. Students who live far from campus often struggle to attend lectures regularly due to transportation costs and long commuting distances. Their experiences reveal a broader issue affecting many DELSU students. While off-campus accommodation offers freedom and privacy, the process of securing suitable housing is often marked by uncertainty, financial strain, and emotional stress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the student population continues to grow, many believe that greater regulation of house agents and improved access to affordable, student-friendly accommodation are necessary to ease the burden on students. Until then, many undergraduates in Abraka will continue to face the difficult task of finding a place they can truly call home while pursuing their academic goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Author, Francisca Unutame is a 200 level journalism and media studies student of Delta State University Abraka.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

BY FRANCISCA UNUTAME For many students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka, gaining admission into the institution is a dream come true. However, beyond the excitement of academic pursuits lies a major challenge that many students must confront: securing decent accommodation. The search for housing in Abraka has become a frustrating experience for many students […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":2,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-141","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-showbiz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=141"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":143,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/141\/revisions\/143"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=141"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=141"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=141"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}