Industry News
Amber Beat: Student Accommodation Market News - April 2023, Week 04

About Amber Beat
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 April 21 - 27, 2023
United Kingdom
- 21% of international students in Scotland struggle to find housing, 49% skip meals due to financial stress, and 10% use foodbanks (Erudera)
- Residents in East London protest against plans for 106 student halls, complaining noisy lifestyle and vandalism (My London)
- Worcester city council approves plans for four-storey student accommodation block despite concerns over parking and on-site security for elderly neighbours (Yahoo News)
- CBRE’s UK real estate market outlook 2023 report projects increasing demand and restricted supply in PBSA sector (PBSA News)
New Constructions (in UK)
- Vita Student to open 269-studio PBSA in Belfast in September 2023, starting at £203 per week (PBSA News)
- Southwark Council approves plans for Alumno group’s 244-room, 24-storey PBSA at Rockingham Street (PBSA News)
- City of Edinburgh Council approve plans for a 148-bed student accommodation on the Union Canal as part of redevopement of the city centre (Herald Scotland)
- Integritas Property Group launches second phase of 54 pods ‘Optima’ student accommodation in central Bradford, expects completion in June 2024 (The Business Deck)
United States of America
- Student Rental Demand Soars: University of Tennessee, Appalachian State, and Purdue Among Schools With Pre-Lease Rates Above 90% (The Globest)
- California's public university system invests $4.5 billion in BREIT (Levernews)
- Expensive student dorm in NYC costing up to $27,550 per year displaces over 500 students due to poor infrastructure (Yahoo news)
- University of New Mexico's on-campus housing rates to might rise by a maximum of $1,750 since fall 2019 affecting 81% of financial aid recipients (The Daily Lobo)
- Student housing near Cosumnes River College delayed, construction may start in mid-2024; a minimum of 147 beds are needed to meet state requirements (The Connection)
- UC Berkeley identifies two sites to add 1200 and 1500 affordable and accessible student beds respectively by AY 2025-26 (Berkeley Side)
- Umpqua Community College to convert three buildings into student housing in Roseburg, adding 250 rooms by 2024 (Kezi.com)
- Read National Law Review’s detailed insights on stakeholder participation and performance in student housing issues (National Law Review)
Australia
- After student housing scams, fraudulent agents lure meritorious international students to low-quality programs under false promises of advanced education and job opportunities (Globe Echo)
- Housing crisis in Cape Breton, renders numerous students homeless; hospitable locals try to resolve the issue by opening dialogue (Saltwire)
- Aria Property Group plans 256-bed premium student tower at 10 Cordelia St, South Brisbane with sustainability features and luxurious aesthetics (Brisbane Development)
- SJB wins design competition for 112-bed student accommodation facility in Glebe, Sydney (Architecture and Design AU)
Europe
- Students from the University of Luxembourg face critical housing crisis due to consistent closure of large student housing complexes since 2019 pertaining to sanitation issues (Today.rtl)
- The university housing market in Malaga, Spain might see a rise in housing supply with the approval of 1,700 new rooms, including 11 projects in development and 3 new constructions (Magal Ahoy)
- Student Experience launches a sustainable student residence in Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain, featuring 600 studios in partnership with Grupo Avintia Real Estate and Avintia Construcción (Brainsre)
- PLASSEY Campus Centre (PCC) seeks permission to convert the well-known Travelodge hotel into student housing at the Park Point complex, Dublin Road (Limerick Live)
Canada
- UBC's "Great Shuffle" sees over 7,000 students move out or switch rooms in a week, prompting the Mindful Move Out campaign to reduce abandoned items and encourage donation (news.ubc.ca)
- North Bay, Ontario college and university request private landlords to accommodate their students due to housing shortage (CBC news)
- Construction set to begin on 60-bed student housing project at Salmon Arm campus of Okanagan College (SAO)