11.4.4. Affordable housing for employees

Middle East Technical University (METU) evaluates staff housing affordability and directly provides subsidized, high-quality, and highly affordable residential housing for its academic faculty, research assistants, and administrative staff. Governed by the official METU Housing Allocation Procedures and Principles, the university manages an extensive physical housing stock—comprising 480 permanent staff housing units (339 Public Housing & 141 Foundation Housing) alongside multiple on-campus guest houses—at monthly rental rates significantly below market value.

1. Evaluation of Affordability & Subsidized Rental Rates

METU systematically evaluates the financial burden of housing on university personnel and offers tiered accommodation options designed to fit diverse employee budgets:

• Subsidized Monthly Rental Rates (2025/2026): Rental rates are established according to housing type, floor area, and amenities, ranging from a minimum of 1,760 TL/month to a maximum of 11,940 TL/month. These heavily subsidized rates protect university staff from rapid urban rent inflation in Ankara.
• Diverse Housing Typologies: The ODTÜ-KENT master plan incorporates various residential categories—including Tip-1 Villas, Tip-5 Apartments, Tip-10 Triplex Villas, and Tip-15 Apartment Units—ensuring suitable living spaces for both single employees and large families.

2. Direct Staff Housing Provision & 2025 Allocation Metrics

Housing is allocated annually every January through a transparent merit- and need-based point ranking system (Puan Sıralaması) approved by the Rectorate:

Direct Staff Housing Capacity:

• Public Staff Housing (Kamu Lojmanı): 339 permanent apartment units.
• Foundation Staff Housing (Vakıf Lojmanı): 141 university foundation units.
• Total Residential Units: 480 active staff housing units.

Empirical Housing Allocations Executed in 2025: In 2025, METU conducted 10 official public call rounds across distinct employee categories, allocating 36 housing units to new staff:

• Faculty & Institute Academic Staff: 5 calls conducted (4 for first-time applicants, 1 for previous occupants) → 20 personnel allocated housing.
• School of Foreign Languages & Department Instructors: 1 call conducted → 3 instructors allocated housing.
• Administrative Staff: 2 calls conducted → 8 administrative personnel allocated housing.
• Research Assistants: 2 calls conducted → 5 research assistants allocated housing.

3. Guest House Facilities & Digitalized Reservation System

Operated under the Directorate of Social Facilities (Health, Culture, and Sports Department), METU maintains short- and long-term guest accommodation for visiting scholars and newly appointed personnel:

Facility Capacity:

• Main Guest House (Merkez Misafirhane): 20 rooms (43-person capacity).
• Aysel Sabuncu Guest House (Aysel Sabuncu Konukevi): 36 rooms.
• Guest House 1 (Block B) & Dedicated Facilities.

Digitalization & Annual Occupancy: In January 2025, METU fully digitalized its guest house reservation workflows via misafirhane.metu.edu.tr/rezervasyon. Throughout 2025, the facility successfully accommodated 5,292 academic guests, scholars, and staff members.

https://stm.metu.edu.tr/tr/lojman-bilgi-bankasi