Shelter struggles: Pune female students caught between safety and affordability

“The affordable ones were often in areas like Karvenagar or Vishrantwadi, but they felt unsafe after dark,” she says.

Sakshi Deshmukh, a student from Garware College finds that Gokhale Nagar is not safe for women.

“I wanted a flat in Gokhale Nagar as the costs there are very reasonable and I even found one, at a comparatively cheap rate. But the area is not considered that safe for females, so I had to leave the option. Now I am paying more for a flat of the same size,” she says.

For female students, the first checkbox is not rent, it is safety. However, the safer areas come at a premium, often beyond a student’s limited budget.

“My parents insisted I stay somewhere with 24×7 security. But those hostels cost almost ₹15,000 per month, without food. For students like me who are managing expenses with scholarships or limited parental income, that’s not feasible,” explains another student.

Even if a compromise is reached on cost, social restrictions and moral policing often creep in. Many PGs for women enforce early curfews, restrict male visitors.

“I had to sign an undertaking that I wouldn’t bring male friends even during daytime. But the same PG lets male students come and go freely in the boys’ wing,” says a student from a private college in Viman Nagar.

However, local authorities claim to be taking active steps to address safety concerns.

“Our teams conduct regular patrolling in and around areas like Gokhale Nagar to ensure the safety of female students living independently. Their security remains a top priority,” said police officer Rohan Javir, Chaturshringi station.

Despite the odds, female students continue to find ways for their accommodation through shared rentals, community WhatsApp groups, and strong peer networks.

“I live with three other girls now. We split the rent, keep pepper sprays in our bags, and never walk alone after 8 pm. It’s not ideal, but we’ve made it our own,” says Priyanka, a psychology student.

As more women pursue education far from home, the question remains: Is the city truly ready to host them? Until the real estate market balances safety and affordability, female students will continue to pay a price higher, not just on rent.

(Divyaja Kalyankar and Kavyaa Masurkar are interns with The Indian Express.)