USI Submission to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness

USI Submission to the Committee on Housing and Homelessness

Download the full submisison here: USI Submission to the Oireacthas Committee on Housing and Homelessness 11:5:2016

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

Student purpose-built accommodation as a housing issue was predicted in 2007 by the Union of Students in Ireland (USI) which paved the way for a detailed report titled Students in the Private Rental Sector: What Are The Issues? Since this report was published in 2009, there have been no long-term solutions put in place to deter the current crisis, or prevent the crisis from worsening.

The Irish economy has shown signs of recovery with the rate of unemployment falling at its lowest level in over 5 years. Student housing (lack of purpose built on-campus accommodation and private sector rent price increase and lack of rental properties) continues to fuel a dropout culture in third level education yet education is widely recognised as a key factor in social and economic wellbeing in Ireland. The Higher Education Authority (HEA) predicts that there will be an increase from 167,991 students in Full Time Education (FTEs) in 2014 to 192, 886 FTEs in 2024 indicating the strong demand for accommodation will be increasing within a decade. Students are sophisticated partners in higher education with high standards from their experience in Irish higher education including high-quality, affordable, sustainable and inclusive available housing – standards that mirror those set by Construction 2020.

By providing alternative housing to students, or purpose- built on-campus accommodation, we will relieve the rental market of the burden placed on it and prevent overcrowding and competition among those who are homelessness, seeking social housing or families.

The current number of bed spaces suitable for student accommodation is estimated to be 31,296. With the current situation problems are arising for students in the private rental sector such as: increasing rents, exit of low- income student tenants, overcrowding and homelessness, state exposure to rising private rents, taking leases beyond capacity, not receiving deposits, and affordable, long-term tenancy (Housing Agency, 2014). In the housing market, students are competing with those who can pay higher rents. This gives rise to homelessness, overcrowding and health and safety risks with a wider impact on labour mobility and having a negative consequence on the functioning of the economy and society where purpose built accommodation can free up more housing for others in society.

Case studies collected here from University College Cork, Trinity College Dublin and NUI Galway show that accommodation services are increasingly overwhelmed with issues from students seeking accommodation in relation to: rent increases, lack of available and affordable accommodation and tenants rights.

This submission discusses the work of the DUWO (a Dutch student-housing corporation set up after the Second World War to assist with a huge lack of student accommodation in the Netherlands) and the establishment of an Irish Student Housing Trust. This would act as a long-term comprehensive solution to the accommodation problem, which is adaptable, and student focused. It must be noted that this ambitious request will not occur overnight, but should be considered by the Government as an extensive long-term goal by 2027 but must begin immediately.

The recommendations can be found on the following pages and outline the key tasks to be undertaken to begin tackling the issue of student housing.