20 November 2013 - World News Australia SBS
Under the new Colombo plan, the government hopes to boost numbers from around 750,000 into the millions.
But student support services and are concerned as to how Australia might house such a massive influx of students.
Kate Gauld from Redfern Legal Centre says the centre aids at least 40 international students a month with various housing issues.
‘One student had paid bond before came to Australia, by the time he got here, really the house was non-existent, it was a scam from the beginning,’ she says.
Ms Gauld says it’s common to see up eight or more people living in a two bedroom apartment. ‘We've even heard of a student staying in a tent, in the lounge room of the house,’ she says.
As house prices soar, overseas student accommodation is experiencing a silent crisis.
Junyan Zhou, in international student from China, moved house nearly a dozen times when he first moved here.
He says his lowest point was paying $320-a-week to live on a balcony in Sydney’s CBD.
However some universities are taking action, with The University of New South Wales building new apartments, with WIFI, a supermarket, food outlets and lounges.
Next year, it's guaranteeing accommodation for first-year international undergraduates with around 5000 beds. But the price of $490-a-week may deter many.
A Department of Education spokesperson says that in addition to private sector housing options, the government helps out through the National Rental Affordability Scheme and other education funds
And it says a 2012 survey found that a majority of international students were satisfied with their accommodation.
