“Impossible to extend until July-August 2024. End of stay no later than June 30, 2024 for all residents due to the Paris 2024 Olympics.” The message is clear. At the beginning of October, an email from the management of the private campus of the Cité universitaire asked students to return the keys to their studios for the summer, reports Le Parisien. Located in the 14th arrondissement, the Maison de la Corée is one of the last “Houses” of the university campus and has a total of 250 studios, rented for 580 euros. Most of the students who live there are foreigners, so it is impossible for them to go back home during the summer. Others also take advantage of the summer to do internships.
“I am shocked that we are being kicked out like this. Where are we going to go? What kind of housing are we going to find during the Olympics, when landlords want to make money with tourists?” worries a 22-year-old Korean student, adding, “Not to mention that I might have some exams in early July. Will I be forced to go back to Korea? Will I miss out on my Master’s degree because of the Olympics?”
Already a controversy before the summer. Students have therefore reason to question their summer situation. Because until now, as Le Parisien recalls, it was understood throughout the campus that a quota of rooms for students staying in the summer should be maintained. The email sent to students living in the Maison de la Corée therefore goes against the general rule set by the central management of the Cité universitaire. The latter assures Le Parisien that Paris 2024 will not have an impact on hosting students during the summer. This is a situation to follow.
Before the summer, the issue of confiscating the rooms of students in the Paris region during the Olympics had already sparked outrage. The Crous d’Île-de-France wanted to take over 3,000 student rooms to accommodate the staff of the Games.
