CIH Scotland highlights ‘significant’ shortfall of student bed spaces in cross-party report

Several of Scotland’s largest cities are facing significant student accommodation shortages, according to a new cross-party report which highlights a shortfall of thousands of bed spaces.

The cross party group on housing report reveals a shortage of 13,852 student bed spaces in Edinburgh, 6,093 in Glasgow, and 6,084 in Dundee.

The rise in university admissions, slow growth in housing capacity, and local opposition to the expansion of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) due to concerns it is being prioritised over affordable housing are factors affecting the availability of student accommodation.

The report, published today, is co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), the University of Stirling, StudentCrowd, the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative (ESHC) and Slurp Edinburgh (Students for Action on Homelessness).

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The research notes that there is a lack of “robust data” on student demographics and their housing needs, as well as “significant gaps” in reporting and monitoring student homelessness in Scotland.

Graham Simpson MSP, convener of the cross-party group on housing, said that although the Scottish government declared a housing emergency earlier this year, “students are often left out of the conversation”.

He added: “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.”

The report states that “PBSA developments are often high-end and can price out students with limited economic resources”.

One of the report’s recommendations is that the Scottish government and local authorities work with investors to pilot more affordable mid-range PBSA housing developments to address the current unmet need.

It also suggests that higher education institutions and local authorities work together to integrate student housing into city-wide planning and needs assessments.

In addition, it calls for the development of joint strategies between the higher education sector and local authorities to support homeless students.

The report also stresses the importance of city-wide one-stop shops that would help students to find suitable and affordable accommodation.

Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland, said: “The issue of student housing can be contentious as developers compete for prized land and local residents may feel pushed out due to lack of affordable housing supply”.

She added: “The challenge for government, local authorities and universities is to work together more proactively to ensure that everyone can access a home to meet their needs and that students can find their place within existing communities.”