Amber Beat: Student Accommodation Market News - December 2024, Week 01

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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 November 29- December 05

United Kingdom

• UK Universities enroll 70% foreign postgraduates with inadequate English amid growing financial dependence on overseas fees, BBC finds (Source)
• 19-storey student flats near Sauchiehall Street recommended for approval, addressing Glasgow’s student accommodation shortage (Source)
• Hampshire Trust Bank secures £10.92M funding for 202-bed purpose-built student accommodation project in Stoke (Source)
• Glasgow's High Street set for major development with over 700 flats and 1,030 student rooms planned in the 'College Gardens' project (Source)
• 15-storey student accommodation with 301 studios approved in Birmingham, addressing the city’s growing housing demand (Source)
• 700 flats and 1000 student homes proposed for vacant Glasgow site, creating new 'Superblock' development (Source)
• Fabrix secures approval for 283-bed student and community hub in Southwark, London and 134,000 sqft of mixed-use space (Source)
• Nottingham's Stanley House expands with 45 new student units, adding to 107 existing studios near Nottingham Trent University (Source)
• £50M Rialto House student accommodation scheme in York reaches topping-out milestone with 275 beds and modern amenities (Source)
• 40% of Build-to-Rent schemes in Leeds now occupied by students, competing with PBSA amid rising rent costs (Source)
• Artisan Real Estate begins construction on £33M, 321-unit student accommodation in Glasgow City Centre, set for completion in Summer 2026 (Source)
• Graham starts £33M construction of 321-unit Glasgow student accommodation, set for Summer 2026 completion (Source)
• Plans for 4-storey student accommodation on Stirling’s Lower Bridge Street to provide 100+ studios (Source)

United States of America

• Fort Wayne, Huntsville, Wichita, Springfield, and Davenport emerge as five most affordable U.S. cities for international students in 2024 (Source)
• USCIS revises F-1 study abroad rule, preserving OPT eligibility and easing compliance concerns for global education programs (Source)
• Yardi Matrix 2024 report highlights size, location, and property type as key drivers of student housing performance, with rents nearing $1,000 per bed near campuses (Source)
• Harvard denies winter housing to international students on financial aid, leaving many scrambling for alternatives amid increased costs and uncertainty (Source)
• Continental Realty Corp. acquires Henley Tampa Palms for $82M, 315-unit apartment community at 15350 Amberly Drive, Tampa, with plans for multi-year improvements (Source)
• Seven Hills Realty Trust closes $42M bridge loan for refinancing 642-bed student housing property, The Domain at Oxford, near University of Mississippi in Oxford (Source)
• Rep. Barragán secures $1M in federal funding for North Long Beach student housing complex at Long Beach City College, supporting low-income students (Source)
• FISH receives $10K grant from Wells Fargo Foundation for affordable student housing in Carson City, Nevada (Source)
• NIU announces $10,000 AIM High campus housing grant for eligible freshmen starting fall 2025 in DeKalb, Illinois (Source)
• UC Berkeley plans 23-story dorm with 1,500 beds in Southside neighborhood, construction set to begin by late 2025 (Source)
• University of Rhode Island partners with Gilbane to add 1,100 beds in new student housing, set for completion by fall 2027 in Kingston, R.I. (Source)
• UT Austin announces new housing endowment to fund 1,000-bed undergraduate complex on Whitis Avenue (Source)
• Inland Acquisitions buys 673-bed student housing community at Sawyer on Lincoln near University of South Carolina in Columbia, delivered in 2023 (Source)
• Parallel to develop 671-bed student housing community at 2413 14th Street in Lubbock, Texas, ready by Fall 2027 (Source)
• Landmark Properties proposes new 142-unit student housing development with 550 beds at Westerly Parkway Plaza in State College, Pennsylvania, expected to begin in 2026 (Source)

Australia

• Australia doubles student visa fee to AUD1,600, prompting Indian students to seek alternative study destinations (Source)
• Nuveen provides AU$275M loan for Brisbane Project to build 1,200-bed student accommodation across 27 levels (Source)
• Plans for a 19-storey student housing tower near UWA (University of Western Australia) to house 472 students unveiled with a $60 million investment (Source)
• Senate passes Build-to-Rent Bills to deliver 80,000 rental homes across Australian cities, including 8,000 affordable units (Source)

Canada

• Canada to reduce international student permits by 10% in 2025, potentially affecting 700,000 students amid housing crisis (Source)
• Canadian colleges see 30% rise in international students in 2022-23, fueled by Indian enrolments, as domestic numbers decline (Source)
• GECC and Pomerleau Capital partner on student housing projects, with $800M construction budget for multiple GEC® developments, including Vancouver complex (Source)
• Alternative Capital buys $13.1M Montreal office building, to convert it into 69-bed student housing at 1220-1224 Sainte Catherine St. W., ready by mid-2025 (Source)
• New 24-storey mixed-use tower in Surrey to provide 944 student dormitory beds, developed by Lark Group and Western Community College (Source)

Europe

• GSA expands European portfolio, enters Italian market with acquisition of 515-bed Trentacoste development in Milan to aid student accommodation growth (Source)
• Nijmegen, Netherlands aims to add 2,500 housing units to tackle housing shortage of student rooms before 2030, takes measures to relax rules for room rental to increase supply (Source)
• Three vacant office buildings converted into first large-scale student accommodation on Polakweg in Rijswijk, Netherlands with 350 student rooms (Source)
• Echo Investment celebrates record success in sales; targets 4,000 units over 2 years amid Poland's housing shortage (Source)
• Amro Partners expands ESG-leading student housing portfolio in Iberia, featuring 170 new beds in Salamanca; 566 more planned in Spain, aims full occupancy across key locations (Source)
• A&G launches A&G Living Investments II, FCR, with €20-35M funding to expand Spain's residential market, including student housing, targeting over €250M investment in 3 years (Source)
• EQT Exeter sells 4,100-bed Spanish student housing portfolio to Azora; expanding Southern European reach with plans for 10,000 more beds (Source)
• GREYKITE and Equilibria acquire Munich Hotel to launch €250M purpose-built student accommodation featuring 190 rooms for AY 2026-27 (Source)
• Naples in Italy hits record student rents with a 23% rise in 2024, Municipality launches €24M plan for new student residences to address the housing crisis (Source)
• Construction begins for student dormitory at Künzelsau campus, Germany, with financial aid received from Würth for an undisclosed amount (Source)
• Construction resumes on 224 furnished student apartments in Magdeburg, Germany, near Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg (Source)