Amber Beat: Student Accommodation Market News - January 2025, Week 01

United Kingdom

• Students face 88% rent premium near top UK universities, with an average rent of £1,509 per month (Source)
• Nottingham approves 394-flat student complex in Island Quarter, following 693-bed Winfield Court completion (Source)
• Firethorn Trust secures £29.95M funding for 230-bed student accommodation in Leith, Edinburgh set for 2026 completion (Source)
• CDL Hospitality Trusts enters student accommodation with £37.3M acquisition in Liverpool (Source)
• Raer Group secures approval for 146-bed, 7-storey student accommodation in Norwich (Source)
• Greenwich Borough in Greater London set for major skyline transformation in 2025 with over 3,500 homes and 1,160 student rooms in towers up to 36 storeys (Source)

United States of America

• DHS finalizes H-1B modernization rule, enhancing visa flexibility and supporting international students, Trump provides backing despite base opposition, sparking division among supporters (Source)
• US higher education sector braces for Trump’s policies as international student enrolment hits record highs in 2024 (Source)
• U.S. universities urge international students to return early ahead of Trump’s proposed immigration crackdown (Source)
• Fresno State breaks ground on $33.7M student housing project with $20M in financing, featuring 1-4 bedroom units, set to open in Fall 2026 at P27 in Fresno (Source)
• Purdue University Northwest to construct $29M, 150-bed residence hall in Hammond, Indiana, ready by July 2026 (Source)
• University of South Alabama invests $20.2M in 156-unit Traditions Apartments, built in 2013 near Old Shell Road, to expand student housing (Source)
• Gilbane Development Company breaks ground on Pique, an 8-story student housing project with 485 beds near UC Berkeley, set for completion in 2026 (Source)
• Texas Christian University to add 292 beds with new dorms opening in January 2025 amid rising housing costs (Source)
• Laconia Development unveils 23-story, 256-ft student housing tower with 160 units at 2029 University Avenue, Berkeley (Source)

Australia

• Australia's Labor Government aims to cut international student numbers by 16% using Ministerial Direction 111, slowing visa processing after institutions reach 80% of set cap, critics oppose (Source)
• Greystar acquires $1.6 billion student accommodation portfolio of seven assets in cities across Australia including Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra (Source)
• Proposal for 30-storey, 515-bed international student tower on 133 Franklin Street in Adelaide CBD, Australia rejected by State Commission Assessment Panel due to multiple factors (Source)

Canada

• Canada tightens immigration policies, impacting international students amid reduced immigration targets and stricter regulations (Source)
• UBC to build $560M, 1,500-bed student residence complex in Vancouver, with construction starting in 2026 and occupancy by 2028 (Source)
• $250K investment transforms duplex into 7-bed student housing on Oakwood Ave, Simcoe, ready for 2025 (Source)
• Canada strengthens international student program amid visa smuggling allegations, with border security measures in place (Source)

Europe

• European universities across Germany, Ireland, Italy, and France, gain popularity as alternate higher education destinations among Indian students amid diplomatic tensions in Canada (Source)
• GSA and Nuveen Real Estate JV sign agreement for acquisition of YouFirst Campus portfolio in France from Gecina for €540M (Source)
• M&G strikes off-market deal to forward fund €46M flex-living student accommodation, development due for completion in 2025 (Source)
• Eindhoven City Council, Netherlands invests 1.5 million euros to accelerate construction of student housing, with implementation to begin in Spring 2025 (Source)
• Construction begins on 187-unit ‘B41’, first student housing in Paraná, Brazil, in partnership with ALTMA and HIEX alongside PUCPR (Source)
• Higher School of Business (National Louis University) in Nowy Sącz, Poland opens doors to on-campus accommodation ‘Student’s House’ 180-bed dormitory (Source)