THOUSANDS of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness and being unable to access the right housing in the country’s biggest cities, according to a new report.
Co-authored by the University of Glasgow, University of Stirling, the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, StudentCrowd, the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative, and Slurp Edinburgh, the report states there is a ‘severe’ student housing crisis in cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Dundee.
The report calls on the Scottish Government to take ‘immediate action’ to tackle the issue, with it noting there is a shortfall of 13,852 bed spaces in Edinburgh, 6,093 in Glasgow, and 6,084 in Dundee.
Further to this, the co-authors stressed the importance of city-wide ‘one-stop shops’ which would guide students to suitable and affordable accommodation – an initiative that the report states could help alleviate some of the pressure on housing markets in major student cities.
Graham Simpson MSP, convenor of the cross party group on housing, said, “The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency earlier this year, but students are often left out of the conversation.
“We have come up with a set of recommendations for the government that are clear and challenging. These include the need for a collaborative approach to student housing, more robust data on student accommodation, and the integration of student housing into local housing strategies.”
Dr Gareth James, of the University of Glasgow-led UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), added, “CaCHE is proud to have supported this cross-sector collaboration to explore student housing options and experiences of homelessness in Scotland. The research, conducted for the cross-party group on housing, reveals an imbalance between supply and demand in key university cities and offers practical recommendations for governments, local authorities, and universities.
“Key findings highlight the need for better data on student housing markets, particularly regarding affordability and availability in the private rental sector. Student accommodation must also be included in local housing strategies to address its impact on communities and wider housing systems.
“The study also calls for creating local knowledge hubs to help students make informed housing decisions and suggests using a systems-thinking approach to understand how student housing affects local markets. Going forward, the Scottish Government and local authorities must prioritise gathering new evidence and balancing market demands with social needs to improve student housing and support local communities.”
Lawrence Williams, of Slurp Edinburgh, commented, “From hidden homelessness to unaffordable rents, students in Scotland face a range of housing issues that have long been overlooked by policy-makers and universities. This report is a promising first step towards recognising the crisis and identifying structural barriers to student housing security. We urgently need bold measures like rent controls, cooperative student housing, and guaranteed emergency accommodation for homeless students.”
