It's always seemed weird to me how in some countries the student housing is actually owned and run by the university. I studied in Sweden where there was student housing run by a non-profit foundation (cheaply priced and well-maintained, they renovated it my second year there). Some people chose to live in the student housing, others chose to live in private or public housing. Many stayed with their parents to save on costs (I commuted by bus+train for 45 minutes a day until I scored a student housing room).