Student Beds Could Receive Government Funding

The construction of thousands of university campus beds could receive part funding from the government.

This comes as planning permission for thousands of purpose-built university beds has been scrapped due to the rising costs of construction.

As well as rising student demand, student accommodation shortages have been impacted by a shortage of private rented accommodation, pressure to house Ukranian refugees and construction delays to planned purpose-built student accommodation.

The latest data indicates that approximately 10,500 bed spaces have received planning permission across over 40 separate student accommodation projects. Due to the rising construction costs, universities are claiming many of these projects will be put on ice, arguing inflation may force colleges to charge rents of 16,000 EUR per annum.

Simon Harris, Minister for Further and Higher Education, is currently in talks over the potential for government subvention
of campus accommodation projects, providing affordable rents are delivered.

A large 1,240-bed student village for Dublin City University was awarded planning permission two years ago, but construction has still not been able to commence.

DCU president, Prof Daire Keogh, commented: "Subvention of 50 per cent of the capital cost is the only realistic solution in order that rooms can be provided to students at an affordable rent.

"As inflation continues to rise and the expected increases in interest rates by the ECB are introduced, projects to provide accommodation for our students will become even more uneconomic for the university and the required subvention will rise"

He continued: "accommodation shortage for students is part of the wider issue of housing. More university residences is only one small part of addressing the housing crisis"

Ireland's South East Technological University has a campus located in Waterford. The students' union are already in talks with local hotels due to the already short supply of university stock and private rented accommodation.

Patrick Curtin, president of the students' union, stated: "I think the accommodation crisis will be even worse than last year."

"Hotels are not a long-term solution, but it is a fallback option for students who can't find anywhere to stay."

Josephine Feehily, chair of the governing body for Technological University of the Shannon also commented on the accommodation shortages: "We are extremely worried about the autumn because the private sector that would have provided accommodation in the past is now occupied and unlikely to become unoccupied in September, largely by - unfortunately - people from Ukraine. So we're extremely concerned about where we'll find capacity."

The Government alongside the universities are planning to promote a scheme which would allow homeowners to earn an income of up to 14,000 EUR tax-free to help create additional accommodation spaces.