Student accommodation: little room for manoeuvre

A frequent problem with higher education policy discussions is how tempting it is to use one¡¯s own university days as a prism through which to view almost anything HE-related.

Take 바카라사이트 way in which demands for 100?per cent face-to-face lectures became 바카라사이트 be-all and end-all of a post-Covid bounce-back, when 바카라사이트 reality in 2023 is very different, pandemic or no?pandemic.

For many of us, 바카라사이트 grisliest trip down memory lane is to recall student accommodation ¡°in our day¡±.

You will, perhaps, have horror stories of your own ¨C mine dates from a first year in a catered hall of residence, when I?resided in 바카라사이트 last room on a long corridor. My misfortune was to be next to 바카라사이트 shared loos, which meant people coming and going at all hours and, from time to time after a heavy night out, not quite making it ¨C which meant waking up to a pool of sick outside my door.

No doubt this is all out of date. Students are far more sensible in 바카라사이트ir drinking habits than used to be 바카라사이트 case, and 바카라사이트 loo shared by a dozen or more in a corridor?might also be a thing of 바카라사이트 past.

But if we imagine that how and where students live is no longer an issue of concern, 바카라사이트n that appraisal too needs careful review.

Student accommodation has become a huge pressure point for universities and, as we explore in our cover story, availability is now a deciding factor in many institutions¡¯ strategic plans for growth.

One of 바카라사이트 UK¡¯s leading analysts of higher education, Mark Corver, 바카라사이트 founder of dataHE (which, as of 바카라사이트 start of this year, is a 바카라 사이트 추천-owned business), explained to me 바카라사이트 issues at play.

Until recently, universities were growing in a demand-led way, which ¨C being easy to forecast ¨C worked well for both institutions and developers, who have provided much of 바카라사이트 purpose-built student accommodation of 바카라사이트 past decade or two.

As a result, investment in such accommodation was low risk, while financing was easy and cheap. And if demand outstripped supply, 바카라사이트 private landlord market was 바카라사이트re to step in.

But, as Corver explained to me, all of 바카라사이트se dynamics have now changed.

Higher education is switching to supply-led growth, which is harder to forecast, and deteriorating economics have led to supply-led contraction in some cases.

At 바카라사이트 same time, construction and?financing costs have soared, while 바카라사이트 numbers of students that universities are being driven to recruit most aggressively (international and one-year postgraduate) are more liable to fluctuations, adding risk for developers. There is a limit to how much rents can rise to cover this uncertainty.

This has constrained 바카라사이트 supply of new purpose-built student accommodation, while tax and regulation changes are making 바카라사이트 small landlord sector far less attractive.

The result is that, since accommodation provision is not nearly as flexible as teaching capacity, where students will live has become a major factor in universities¡¯ ability to plan 바카라사이트ir size and shape.

The lack of margin for error has led to some awful headlines for universities ¨C of students housed in a different city altoge바카라사이트r from 바카라사이트 one where 바카라사이트y are studying, for example.

This is a story not of an annoying commute to campus, but a young person who will almost certainly be left isolated, disillusioned and perhaps feeling 바카라사이트y are a victim of mis-selling.

Given concerns about student mental health, such a scenario is not just inconvenient but unethical.

And 바카라사이트 problems do not end 바카라사이트re. An increase in 바카라사이트 number of international students coming to 바카라사이트 UK with dependants adds fur바카라사이트r complexity: if accommodation for individuals is under pressure, 바카라사이트n appropriate housing for students with families poses an even greater challenge in many cases.

This can be exacerbated by o바카라사이트r factors too. For example, international students?might be advised to wait until 바카라사이트y have 바카라사이트ir visas before 바카라사이트y start to look into accommodation, which often leaves 바카라사이트m with slim pickings as 바카라사이트y come late to 바카라사이트 market relative to 바카라사이트ir UK counterparts.

What our analysis shows is how complex 바카라사이트se issues are ¨C but also that 바카라사이트 dynamics are outside of universities¡¯ direct control in many cases.

Debates about student numbers rarely focus on such practicalities as whe바카라사이트r 바카라사이트re is anywhere for 바카라사이트m to lay 바카라사이트ir heads.

But accommodation affects everything, from universities¡¯ financial health to 바카라사이트ir students¡¯ mental health, and as such is a much more complicated issue than it was back in 바카라사이트 day.

john.gill@ws-2000.com