New report reveals ‘significant’ shortage of student beds in Scotland

Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Dundee are facing shortages of thousands of bed spaces, according to a new cross-party report.

The report, published by a coalition of housing organisations and academic institutions, reveals a staggering shortfall of student accommodation across three of Scotland’s largest cities.

Edinburgh tops the list with a shortage of 13,852 bed spaces, followed by Glasgow with 6,093 and Dundee with 6,084.

Graham Simpson MSP, convener of the cross-party group on housing, said:

“Although the Scottish government declared a housing emergency earlier this year, students are often left out of the conversation.”

He added: “We have come up with a set of recommendations for the government that are clear and challenging. 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 crisis has been fuelled by a perfect storm of rising university admissions, sluggish growth in housing capacity, and local opposition to the expansion of purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA).

Concerns that PBSA is being prioritised over affordable housing have led to resistance from local communities.

Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at CIH Scotland, highlighted the contentious nature of the issue:

“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.”

The report, co-authored by a range of organisations including the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (CaCHE), points to significant gaps in the current approach to student housing.

It notes a lack of data on student demographics and housing needs, as well as inadequate reporting and monitoring of student homelessness in Scotland.

One key issue identified is the affordability of existing PBSA.

The report states that “PBSA developments are often high-end and can price out students with limited economic resources”.

To address this, it recommends that the Scottish government and local authorities work with investors to pilot more affordable mid-range PBSA housing developments.

The report also calls for greater collaboration between higher education institutions and local authorities to integrate student housing into city-wide planning and needs assessments.

It suggests the development of joint strategies to support homeless students and the creation of city-wide one-stop shops to help students find suitable and affordable accommodation.

Campbell emphasised the need for a coordinated response:

“The challenge for government, local authorities and universities is to work together more proactively to ensure that everyone can access a home to meet their needs and that students can find their place within existing communities.”

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