UK UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FACE A LODGING CRISIS DUE TO A HOUSING CRUNCH

Things are looking bleak for first-year students as several UK universities have told them to look for alternative accommodation. The halls of residence at these universities are already full. The situation is critical with incoming undergrads being denied university accommodation with the term just weeks away. The University of West England (UWE), the University of Glasgow, and Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) are among the ones that have a housing crunch.

Students at UWE have been offered accommodation options in Newport, Wales. But the travel time from the Bristol campus to the location is around an hour. Although the university promises to bear the travel costs, the inconvenience of the commute is a matter of concern. According to the UWE statistics, 533 students do not have university accommodation due to high volumes of applications.

Earlier, the University of York set students to live in Hull, and the University of Bristol has set them up in Wales due to a similar situation. As the number of students joining university increases every year, there is growing pressure on university accommodation. The situation is the same for privately-rented properties in the country.

According to critics, universities should plan for student housing before offering places unprecedentedly. A record number of 426,000 students held university offers on August 18th, the A-Level results day. The situation may be more daunting ahead as thousands more are looking for places on Clearing.

UWE officials cite the growing popularity of Bristol as the reason for the growing gap. Factors like an increase in the cost of living and high demand for university places also contribute to the housing crunch. Conversely, student leaders blame the universities for selling off their housing stock and giving up on their responsibility toward their own students. Predatory private providers are likely to step in and capitalize on the void.


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