Amber Beat: Global Student Accommodation Market News - February 2025, Week 03

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Missed keeping track of all the latest happenings in the student accommodation market?

Amber Beat is a weekly snapshot of the key developments in top student accommodation markets.  This newsletter provides you with all the information you need to know, from new upcoming projects to current trends, news affecting students to government policies, we’ve got you covered!

Amber Beat | News from February 14-20, 2025

United Kingdom

• Knight Frank reports 8.9% surge in Chinese student applications to UK, driving 2.7% rise in international applications for January 2025 (Source)
• UK Public shows strong support for international students as January 2025 sees 12.5% rise in visa applications despite 13% yearly drop (Source)
• UK Universities face financial strain as international student visa applications drop 13%, despite public support or Increases student numbers (Source)
• Watkin Jones and HGP top out Stratford PBSA with 397 student bedrooms, targeting BREEAM ‘Excellent’ rating (Source)
• Beachrock relists PBSA portfolio at £30M, down from £90M, offering 1,000+ beds across Coventry, Nottingham, and Sheffield (Source)
• Pivot Finance secures £3M facility for 257-bedroom PBSA scheme in Southampton, meeting growing student demand (Source)
• Soller Group Secures Approval for 216-Bed Birmingham PBSA, Featuring 13 Storeys and Extensive Amenities (Source)
• GMH Communities acquires The Stretch, 533-bed student housing near University of Kentucky, for $23M (Source)

United States of America

• US cuts visa interview waiver eligibility from 48 months to 12, impacting H-1B, F-1, and B1/B2 holders (Source)
• Indian students on F-1 visa navigate OPT, H-1B transition amid rising demand for US job opportunities (Source)
• Florida ends in-state tuition for undocumented students, sparking concerns of a national policy shift (Source)
• US MBA programs cut international student admissions as visa uncertainties and job prospects dim (Source)
• Investcorp Capital invests $300M in US student housing, acquiring 2,500 beds across Texas, Kentucky, and Oklahoma (Source)
• GMH and CRG secure $78.5M refinancing for ‘The Dean Reno’, a 773-bed student housing community near the University of Nevada, Reno (Source)
• Okanagan College’s $24M Penticton student housing project to add 101 beds, ready by Fall 2026 (Source)
• SDSU proposes 5,220-bed Evolve student housing project with phased construction from 2025 to 2030 in high-risk fire zone (Source)
• The Stretch, a 533-bed student housing property near University of Kentucky, sold to GMH Communities (Source)
• South Dakota lawmakers reject bill allowing students off-campus housing as USD plans new dorm for 200 students on Plum Street (Source)
• Florida State University removes LGBTQ+ housing option without notice, reinstates it after student backlash (Source)
• Columbia City Council advances student housing ban proposal as downtown development shifts focus (Source)
• Illinois State University explores certified housing after canceling campus project due to rising costs (Source)

Australia

• Australia's tightened visa rules and projected cap on international students raise concerns about potential decline of Indian student applications (Source)
• 10 Australian universities ranked among the world's best in Times Higher Education Reputation Rankings for 2025 (Source)
• Austrade survey of international students in Australia found overall positive sentiment but growing concerns about cost of living and visa rule changes (Source)
• Built, Sirona Urban, Australian Unity, MaxCap Group, and UniLodge, have topped out 30-story, 736-bed PBSA ‘Unilodge Perth Central Scheme’ in Perth CBD, set for completion in October 2025 (Source)
• Built to Rent Co, a spin-off of student housing giant ‘Scape’, proposes $1.5B built-to-rent project at Marrickville Timberyards, NSW’s largest of its kind (Source)

Canada

• Canada’s rapid international student reforms threaten college funding, skilled labor pipeline, and regional economies (Source)
• Canada invests $17.4 million in 44-unit Artemis rental project in Squamish as student housing demand grows (Source)
• Nunavik school board faces $330M housing shortfall, needs 150 units to support education sector (Source)
• Canada's tightening immigration policies may push international students to return home as permanent residency quotas decrease by 20% (Source)

Europe

• German universities and industry leaders urge faster visas to retain international students amid labor shortages, as enrollment hits 405,000 in 2024-25 (Source)
• MOD21 and Wolf Müller sign PLN 91.3M contract (MOD21’s share is PLN 41.8M) to build student housing in Mannheim, Germany, using a "design and build" model (Source)
• Recent report on youth housing in France reveals 17% of students forfeit training/studies due to a lack of accommodation, forcing many to stay with parents or live in unstable conditions (Source)
• With over 3,000 off-site students and only 283 affordable beds, the Forlì Municipality plans to renovate buildings for more student housing in France (Source)
• UXCO Group opens ‘The Babylone Residence’ on the Pont de Bois campus in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France to house up to 310 students (Source)
• ALDI store extension in Mannheim-Neuostheim to be built as a 4-story student housing building, with €22 million investment, assembly to conclude in February 2027 (Source)
• Gavari Properties initiates international expansion with purchase of a 6,500m² plot of land in Monte da Caparica, Portugal for €6 million, to build 400-bed student residence (Source)
• University of Huelva, Spain inaugurates new student residence at the El Carmen Campus, offering 320 rooms with 440 spaces, operational since September 2024 (Source)
• Vienna Greens urge more affordable student housing as an IFES study finds students spend 43% of their monthly budget on rent (Source)
• University of the Azores begins construction on first of 3 university residences in Angra do Heroísmo, Portugal aiming to add 270 accommodation places by March 2026 (Source)
• As per new laws by the Netherlands Government, rents will increase by several hundred euros per year soon, resulting in 5.8% increase in rents this year (Source)

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