{"id":1793,"date":"2026-07-15T22:59:19","date_gmt":"2026-07-15T21:59:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1793"},"modified":"2026-07-15T23:18:11","modified_gmt":"2026-07-15T22:18:11","slug":"a-roof-over-their-heads-the-housing-struggle-of-delsu-students","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/?p=1793","title":{"rendered":"A Roof Over Their Heads: The Housing Struggle of DELSU Students"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>By Daniel Akur Daniel<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Access to decent and affordable accommodation has become one of the greatest challenges facing students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. While gaining admission into the university is a major achievement, securing suitable accommodation has become an equally difficult task due to limited hostel spaces and the increasing cost of private housing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to Mr. Adebayo, a landlord in the Abraka community, the growing student population has significantly influenced the cost of living in the town.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;The high demand for accommodation has increased the value of houses in Abraka. As rent goes up, the prices of other goods and services also increase. Even sachet water has become more expensive. As long as the country&#8217;s economy remains unstable, these costs will likely continue to rise,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">DELSU operates a mixed accommodation system consisting of university-owned hostels and privately owned off-campus hostels and apartments. Although on-campus accommodation provides convenience, security, and easier access to academic facilities, the available spaces are far below the demand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The university provides accommodation through several halls of residence across its campuses, including Abraka Hall, Canon Mason Hall, Council Hall, Eco Hall, Ethiope Hall, Medical Hostel, NDDC Hall, and Executive Hostel. Some of these hostels are designated for male students, others for female students, while a few accommodate mixed categories of students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Despite these facilities, the university is unable to accommodate the majority of its students. In 2026, DELSU&#8217;s student population exceeded 35,000, while university-owned hostels could accommodate only about 2,000 students. As a result, thousands of students are forced to seek accommodation in privately owned hostels and rented apartments within the Abraka community.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shortage of hostel spaces has become particularly challenging for newly admitted students, who often struggle to secure accommodation during registration. Competition for available bed spaces is intense, with hostel allocations usually exhausted shortly after applications open.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">University-owned hostels remain highly sought after because they are generally more affordable than private alternatives. Students who secure on-campus accommodation also benefit from proximity to lecture halls, libraries, laboratories, and other academic facilities. In addition, campus hostels encourage social interaction, making it easier for students to form study groups and build supportive relationships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The university management has consistently discouraged squatting and the unauthorized sharing of bed spaces, citing concerns about overcrowding, safety, and the deterioration of hostel facilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The shortage of university accommodation has created opportunities for private investors. Neighbourhoods around Campus II, Campus III, the Railway Area, and other parts of Abraka have witnessed rapid development of private hostels and student apartments. These facilities range from single rooms and self-contained apartments to one-bedroom and two-bedroom flats designed specifically for students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, many students complain that the cost of renting private accommodation continues to rise each academic session. They argue that high rents, alongside increasing utility bills and the general cost of living, have placed additional financial pressure on students and their families.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Housing experts and stakeholders believe that expanding university hostel facilities through government investment and public-private partnerships would help reduce pressure on students while improving their welfare and academic performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As Delta State University continues to expand, addressing the shortage of student accommodation remains a critical challenge. Many students hope that increased investment in hostel development and improved housing policies will make accommodation more affordable, accessible, and conducive to learning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Daniel Akur Daniel Access to decent and affordable accommodation has become one of the greatest challenges facing students of Delta State University (DELSU), Abraka. While gaining admission into the university is a major achievement, securing suitable accommodation has become an equally difficult task due to limited hostel spaces and the increasing cost of private [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":1796,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"iawp_total_views":14,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[31,207,25,498],"class_list":["post-1793","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-abrakametro","category-trendingnews","tag-abraka","tag-accommodation","tag-delsu","tag-housing-deficit"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793","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\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1793"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1807,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1793\/revisions\/1807"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/1796"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1793"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1793"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mediaconversation.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1793"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}