“Starting off Well” — The quest of finding suitable accommodation in Wellington and the impacts on student wellbeing

Abstract

PURPOSE This study investigated the barriers, and challenges faced by medical students at the University of Otago, Wellington in their search for suitable accommodation in Wellington (Pōneke). The research also aimed to identify solutions to these challenges and barriers. METHOD This is a qualitative study of ten semi-structured interviews with medical students over December 2021. Interviews were then transcribed and thematically analysed by the researchers. RESULTS The five key themes identified; the high cost of living and rent, difficulty finding accommodation, the overall financial burden of living in Wellington, poor quality of housing, and the students perceptions of differences across the three medical schools. CONCLUSION Students are struggling to find accommodation and to meet the cost of living in Wellington. They face the additional costs associated with placement across various clinical sites, and feel unsupported by the University of Otago. Students would like more support from the University, including financial assistance for the higher cost of living in Wellington, travel subsidies, having a designated staff member to assist with finding accommodation and the provision of University accommodation in Wellington.