Students struggle as Scottish housing crisis worsens

Students struggle as Scottish housing crisis worsens

0:01 AM, 30th September 2024, About 3 hours ago

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Thousands of students “are being overlooked” as housing crisis in Scotland reaches breaking point.

A report by the Chartered Institute of Housing, in collaboration with several universities including Glasgow, warns of a “severe student housing crisis” due to a shortage of more than 26,000 student bed spaces in the country’s biggest cities.

The news comes after 12 Scottish councils and the Scottish government have declared a housing emergency.

Students in Scotland face a range of housing issues

The report for the Cross Party Group on Housing highlights major shortfalls in student accommodation, including a shortage of 13,852 bed spaces in Edinburgh, 6,093 in Glasgow, and 6,084 in Dundee.

The report also raises concerns about the lack of affordable housing options for students, as well as limited accessible accommodation for those with additional support needs or mature students with families.

Lawrence Williams, from the student housing charity Slurp Edinburgh and a contributor to the report, said “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.”

Scottish landlords leaving

Despite calls for rent controls, the report shows more landlords are leaving the student housing market due to uncertainty over Scottish government policies.

The report found that 83% of landlords have stayed in the private rented sector but are now renting to non-students. Many prefer letting to other groups and have had issues with student tenants in the past.

Student landlords are worried about rent caps and unclear government policies, which affect the whole private rental sector. According to the report, 25% of student landlords are more likely to leave rather than stay in the student housing sector, while another 25% are undecided, with concerns about future government policies, including rent controls.


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