Room shortage in Utrecht slowly decreasing

The agreement was signed on 3 December. The parties agreed to continue working together to reduce the shortage of student housing in Utrecht over the next five years. They also decided to focus on vocational students looking for rooms.

Alderman Dennis de Vries says in a press release that he wants "student housing to become more accessible to all students". He says: "We are taking significant steps towards equal status for vocational students in Utrecht. Student life itself is becoming increasingly accessible to these students. For example, they can participate in the introduction week, UIT, and play sports at Olympus. At the same time, we have noticed that only 9 per cent of vocational students in Utrecht have moved out of their parents' house, compared to a national percentage of 19 per cent.

Municipality's objective
In 2023, the municipality set the target to reduce the student housing shortage from 5,300 to zero. In the 2024-2025 academic year, the shortage shrank to 4,400 homes due to a decline in international student enrollment in Utrecht. The municipality is sticking to its 2023 target, according to the alderman's spokesperson. 

No fewer than 4,000 homes are currently in the pipeline, of which approximately 3,000 will be provided by SSH. These homes must be completed in five years. Hota (Home Of The Artists) in Leidsche Rijn will be ready next spring. Featuring 250 apartments, this building is intended for HKU students and first-time buyers. The High Five at Utrecht Science Park will be completed in the autumn of 2026, providing 921 homes.

Last Friday, a framework agreement was signed between VOF Livingstonelaan and SSH. The project will provide approximately 640 homes. Construction will start in 2027. Kwekerij will be completed two years later, with 470 homes. Finally, Archimedeskwartier will be ready in 2030, providing 1,600 homes, of which 600 will be for students.

In addition to SSH, other parties are also involved in reducing the housing shortage. Real estate company Greystar will work on Merwede, and Explorius Vastgoedontwikkeling will work at two locations in Kögllaan and Manegelaan.

To reach the goal of 5,300 homes, the municipality still needs to find a place for 1,300 of them. The municipality sees potential in the Papendorp neighbourhood, the IBB complex, and Utrecht Science Park.

No more auditions
In 2024, SSH introduced a new policy to make the process of finding a room fairer. The practice of hospiteren, in which room seekers "audition" and roommates decide who gets to move in, will not be allowed in the new buildings. Some students experience these audition evenings as stressful, according to a spokesperson for SSH. 

Students who have been registered at DDH for the same amount of time now have the option of choosing a room themselves, with or without an interview. This gives them more control over their chances of getting a room. Currently, SSH has 366 rooms that only require registration time. That is 4.7 per cent of the total student housing supply in Utrecht.

The 2023-2030 student housing action plan states that the municipality aims to increase the availability of student housing. The action plan is primarily intended to achieve the objectives of the covenant.