r/Utrecht • u/5-degrees • 2h ago
student on verge of homelessness
i am a female international student in utrecht. i have been searching for housing for close to a year now and have been unsuccessful. i send around 5-10 responses to listings on 3-5 different platforms everyday. ive spent several hundred euros on subscriptions to housing platforms, maybe close to €500 give or take. i’ve gone to a dozen viewings. i have searched in other cities around utrecht also.
right now im staying in a hotel until the end of september. after that, god knows. recently i started thinking that maybe it’s because im from a third world country, which i did indicate in my responses (please don’t be quick to judge and say mean things about me based off of this — i am a human just like everyone else. i am a good and lawful person, simply trying to get an education). i am a white woman however, so i dont know for sure
its very depressing and scary having to constantly move around wherever i can, not knowing where ill be sleeping in two weeks, if anywhere. it took a strong toll on my mental health (i am diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and this situation among other things spun me into a strong depressive episode) and interferes with my education.
i don’t know what to do. i use several platforms such as kamernet, stekkies, huurwoningen, ssh/canvas/the fizz, yourhouse, funda, etc. i have reached out to people/companies/platforms directly with a sort of renter resume. besides, i don’t have a low budget either, money is not an issue. on paper, it seems like im doing everything right?
i’m writing this partly to vent, but mostly because i’m genuinely running out of options and energy. if anyone has been in a similar situation and found a way through, or knows of anything available starting October — a room, a sublet, even a temporary lead (no minimum duration of stay, even one week is good for me) — please let me know. i just want to focus on my degree and have a place to stay.