Thousands of Scottish university students at risk of homelessness as 14k Edinburgh bed shortage revealed

Thousands of students across Scotland are at risk of homelessness, with those attending college and university in the nation’s major cities facing an “acute shortage” of accommodation, a new report has claimed. 

The major shortfall in housing is being compounded by a lack of affordable and accessible options for students with additional support needs and mature students with families, a situation that has many people facing “precarious living situations”, the research found. 

The report, produced for Holyrood cross-party group on housing, found students faced the most challenging situation in Edinburgh, where there is a shortfall of 13,852 bed spaces. In Glasgow, the deficit is 6,093, closely followed by Dundee with 6,084. 

Thousands of Scottish students are at risk of homelessness according to a new report. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

The committee’s convener warned that although the Scottish Government has declared a housing emergency, students were often excluded from the debate, and called for a more “collaborative approach” to solve the crisis. 

The report, co-authored by the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, the UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, the University of Stirling, the Edinburgh Student Housing Co-operative, Students for Action on Homelessness and StudentCrowd, found the root of the problem was the tension between rising student numbers and an imbalance between supply and demand - an issue made worse by a spike in higher education costs and a lack of affordable housing options.

The report said that due to stigma and inadequate support, many students may be engaged in “hidden homelessness behaviours” such as ‘sofa-surfing’. The report also pointed to “significant gaps” in reporting and monitoring of student homelessness.

The report’s recommendations stressed the importance of non-profit city-wide one-stop shops that would guide students to suitable and affordable accommodation, an initiative that could help alleviate some of the pressure on housing markets. It also called for better data collation, with student housing being integrated into local housing strategies. 

Graham Simpson, the Scottish Conservative MSP and convenor of the cross-party group on housing, said: “The Scottish Government declared a housing emergency earlier this year, but students are often left out of the conversation. We have come up with a set of recommendations for the Government that are clear and challenging. 

The report calls for better quality data on the problem of student accommodation. Picture: Lisa Ferguson

“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.”

Ashley Campbell, policy and practice manager at the Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland, said: “The challenge for government, local authorities and universities is to work together more pro-actively to ensure that everyone can access a home to meet their needs and that students can find their place within existing communities.”

Lawrence Williams, co-president of the Edinburgh-based Students for Action on Homelessness, added: “We urgently need bold measures like rent controls, co-operative student housing, and guaranteed emergency accommodation for homeless students.”

A Scottish Government spokeswoman: “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.

“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.”