The Students' Union at UCD has said there has been no meaningful improvement to student housing provision despite what it has called "positive soundbites".
The union has called on policymakers and college authorities to do much more to address the problems facing students looking for somewhere to live.
Publishing the results of an online survey that more than 1,800 students responded to last November and December, the students’ union said three quarters of respondents who did not live at home said they were paying rent of in excess of €750 per month. This is an increase compared to a similar survey carried out a year earlier.
The union said 70% of respondents said they would not vote for political parties that did not support UCDSU housing demands.
The union has reiterated calls for a significant increase in the availability of on-campus or near-campus housing, to allow students to live close to their place of study.
In a statement the union said the report highlighted "the growing divide in the student experience at UCD, with a holistic student experience becoming a privilege rather than the norm".
"Accessibility to campus is crucial for getting the most out of life at UCD, and many students strongly desire to stay on or closer to campus," it said.
UCDSU President Miranda Bauer said the survey findings were building on previous work and again highlighted the urgent need for practical solutions to the housing challenges faced by students in UCD and across the island.
"We believe that affordable and quality housing is a fundamental right that should be available to every student," Ms Bauer said.
"We now need to see a manifestation of the duty of care that the State and higher education institutions have to students. Instead of the rise of student accommodation as an asset class, we need beds for brains. We want our voices heard as we approach an election."
Around three quarters or 1,484 of those students who chose to complete the online questionnaires said they did not live at home or own their own home.
Almost two thirds of them said they experienced some difficulty paying for their accommodation monthly. 25% described it as "extremely difficult".
Almost two thirds said they relied upon some form of family support to pay for their accommodation during the academic year and just under 11% said they had taken out a private loan in order to cover the costs.
43% of respondents said that the process of finding accommodation was "very difficult".
The union said it does not believe that there will be any meaningful improvement to the availability of student beds in the short term.
