As the cost of living crisis deepens with energy bills increasing by almost £700 per year, food prices rising and National Insurance going up, an increasing number of people are struggling with basic living costs. While a minority of academics still enjoy a high salary and a comfortable standard of living, some university staff in Bristol say they are struggling to find a place to rent and some are having to give up their homes and move out of the city.
One University of Bristol researcher, who does not wish to be named, has been sofa surfing at friends’ houses because her close to zero hour contract means that few landlords would take her in. Her contract only guarantees her three hours per week and although she often works more than that, on paper her salary doesn't guarantee an income high enough for landlords to feel confident that she can pay the rent.
When she went on strike in December 2021 she wrote on her placard “pathway 2 homelessness”, a play on words to highlight the precarious situation for university staff, like herself who are employed under 'Pathway 2' contracts. She said she later regretted her slogan when several weeks later she was made homeless after being evicted from her rented accommodation. The University of Bristol says it is "listening carefully to our staff's concerns".
