Warning student housing shortage could drive homelessness
Students will be heading back to University shortly, but we're being warned there's a serious risk of accommodation for them
We are being warned student homelessness could rise as youngsters prepare for freshers.
NUS Scotland, the student union, say a "broken housing system" means there is a lack of accommodation.
A study from NUS earlier this year found 12% of students have experienced homelessness at some point in their studies.
Student activists in St Andrews have highlighted the difficulties students are having finding housing for the coming year and first-year students at the University of Glasgow have been told that there is no guarantee they’ll get accommodation.
Whilst there's a particular concern in Edinburgh around the number of short-term lets, such as AirBnB's.
Although the Capital is set to become Scotland's first short-term let control zone, it'll take time for that to have an impact.
Commenting, NUS Scotland President Ellie Gomersall said:
“There are students across Scotland right now struggling to get accommodation for the year ahead, facing a choice between sofa-surfing or paying sky-high rents.
“Last week we saw another record number of students from the most deprived communities accepted to university but if we don’t get a grip on our broken student housing system, we’re just setting students up to fail.
“Even before the cost-of-living crisis, 12 per cent of students had experienced homelessness – without action I cannot see how this will not increase in the coming year.
“We urgently need a student housing strategy, with rent controls and a student housing guarantee that ensures government, universities, and local authorities work together so every student has a safe, quality and affordable place to live.”
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