Thousands of students in Scotland 'at risk of homelessness'

Thousands of students in Scotland are at risk of homelessness as freshers week kicks off across the country, according to a report for MSPs.

Evidence has revealed that students are unable to access the right housing in some of the country’s biggest cities including Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.

The report for the Cross Party Group on Housing highlights significant shortfalls in student accommodation, which includes 13,852 bed spaces in Edinburgh, 6,093 in Glasgow, and 6,084 in Dundee.

It highlighted that the accommodation shortage, as well as lack of affordable and accessible options, has left students with additional support needs or mature students with families in “precarious” living situations.

The report comes after a nationwide housing emergency was declared by the Scottish Government in May this year.

Since the declaration, a number of local authorities have followed citing issues such as growing homelessness and Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) as reasons for the crisis.

Convenor of the Cross-Party Group on Housing, Graham Simpson MSP said that students have been “left out of the conversation” surrounding the housing crisis.

“We have come up with a set of recommendations for the government that are clear and challenging,” he said.

“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 also stresses the importance of “city-wide one-stop shops” that would guide students to suitable and affordable accommodation, an initiative the report said could help “alleviate some of the pressure” on housing markets in major student cities.

“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,” said Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager, Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland.

Campbell called on the Government, local authorities and universities to work together “proactively” to ensure that everyone can access a home to meet their needs.

Lawrence Williams, of housing justice society Slurp Edinburgh, said the report is a “promising first step” in recognising the crisis but reiterated the need for measures such as rent controls.

“From hidden homelessness to unaffordable rents, students in Scotland face a range of housing issues that have long been overlooked by policy-makers and universities,” Mr Williams said.

“This report is a promising first step towards recognising the crisis and identifying structural barriers to student housing security.”

He added: “We urgently need bold measures like rent controls, cooperative student housing, and guaranteed emergency accommodation for homeless students.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The Scottish Government is aware of the difficulties some students have faced in accessing suitable accommodation.

“The Housing Minister recently chaired a meeting which brought together universities, local authorities and accommodation providers to discuss supply and affordability, and encourage more collaborative working to resolve these issues. Further meetings will be held in due course,” they added.

“While there is no single solution to addressing rent affordability, the commitment to introducing a longer-term system of rent controls for Scotland is one measure being taken forward in the Housing Bill.”