In a new paper from the Higher Education Policy Institute,
Student Accommodation: The State of the Nation in 2024,
Martin Blakey, the former Chief Executive of the Leeds-based
student housing charity Unipol, explains the changes in the
student accommodation market that have led to higher rents.
Following the recent announcement that the maximum maintenance
loan in England will increase by only 2.5% in 2024/25 and the
fact that rents have been rising faster than maintenance support,
the HEPI Policy Note outlines a possible a new approach,
including:
- introducing an adjustable energy supplement on rents,
encouraging better use of energy;
- organising flats in clusters of 12 to 20 students, around a
central kitchen / leisure area;
- smaller pod-sized rooms, perhaps of around 10m2,
including en suite;
- good communal spaces for lounge and study areas – especially
important when rooms are smaller;
- overnight security only or more co-operation with
universities’ own security services;
- buildings of around 300 to 350 student beds, to try and get
the best fit on running costs; and
- mixing up room sizes and facilities within one building, with
rooms differentially priced.
Martin Blakey, author of Student Accommodation: The
State of the Nation in 2024 (HEPI Policy Note 52),
said:
‘Student housing is an educational issue. If you cannot find
safe, accessible and affordable accommodation, your learning
suffers.
‘We have gradually reached a position where the current student
accommodation model is not working well for many students.
Factors such as higher interest rates, increased regulation and a
changing pattern of higher education are all affecting the
student housing market.
‘The time has come for a new approach, with more innovative
provision and more sensible regulation alongside a more
sustainable regime for student maintenance support.’
, Director of the Higher
Education Policy Institute, said:
‘There is a serious cost-of-living crisis among students. Rents
have been rising more slowly than inflation but they have been
going up faster than the maintenance support on offer to
students.
‘The costs of providing new student accommodation have shot up,
thanks in large part to higher interest rates and increased
construction costs. Meanwhile, the supply shared student houses
of the sort of made famous by The Young Ones, which were
once the norm for second and third-year students, has reduced.
‘Parsimonious Ministers have been reluctant to increase
maintenance loans anything like in line with actual inflation,
meaning many students are having to work ever more hours, which
can affect their studies. Students from more disadvantaged
backgrounds in particular are losing out.
‘We need creative thinking and innovation. Martin Blakey’s
proposals offer one possible way ahead. We hope people will
engage with the ideas and propose others of their own.’
