Urban Housing for Migrant Students in India: Field-based Evidence from the National Capital Region

Abstract

The paper explores the available housing options for migrant students based on a field survey in the National Capital Region. The study finds that most migrant students depend on private rental housing, particularly in the form of paying guests and independent flats at relatively higher charges. Students from affluent families prefer independent private accommodation in a better location, whereas those from lower-income groups prefer to stay in distant places from educational institutions. Further, the paper also finds that female students often incur higher accommodation costs as compared to their male counterparts. Besides being expensive, rental housing poses serious challenges to living experiences ranging from sustaining accommodation to managing higher education.