Efforts Made To Alleviate Student Accommodation Crisis

The latest progress report of the National Student Accommodation Strategy (NSAS) has beenreleased, including reports on the creation of 7000 new bed spaces and a new 4% annual capto minimize rent increases, similar to the already established, Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs).The NSAS is the official government strategy for creating more student accommodation,following a growing shortage in Dublin and other Universities. Established in 2017, the planaims to have about 20,000 student beds by 2024 in Ireland, having constructed 7000 so far. Incomparison, UCC’s on-campus accommodation consists of about 6000 beds altogether.The introduction of rent increase caps is long-anticipated, with the lack of regulation of rentwhere student accommodation is concerned being a contentious issue with students. SomeDublin private accommodation facilities increased their rent by up to 25% last year, and UCC’son-campus accommodation increased in cost by 11.5% for the 2019/2020 year, just before theintroduction of the 4% increase cap, which will come into effect from August onwards.“I welcome the continued increase in availability of student accommodation,” said Mary MitchellO’Connor, Minister for Higher Education. “The National Student Accommodation strategy wasdesigned to increase supply and so assist in moderating rental costs for students. As the figuresshow the strategy is working and we are on track to exceed the target set at the outset.”The additional space and rent increase caps are welcome news, especially in Dublin and otherrent pressure areas like Cork City, where the rising cost and dropping availability of studentaccommodation has been a pressing issue. A large amount of accommodation is alreadybooked before the release of the CAO results, making it particularly difficult for first-yearstudents to secure accommodation.Steps have been made to include student accommodation in Rent Pressure Zone regulationand tenant protection law. At the moment, accusations have been made of studentaccommodation being exploitative, with less legal protection for student tenants than otherrenters.The NSAS has been criticised by student activists and Students’ Unions, who have argued thatthe focus has been on creating “luxury” student accommodations, which are profit-focused andare aimed at wealthier international students rather than lower-income Irish students. The Rallyfor Affordable Housing, a protest held between UCC and CIT, focused on the high prices ofAmnis House, a student housing complex on Western Road costing over €200 per week.UCCSU president Ben Dunlea has called for cheaper prices and more government interventionin rent control, saying, “[Companies] know students have few options other than to pay”.“Students don’t want luxury accommodation, and accommodation being built is overpriced andnot sustainable for them or their families to afford,” said Aoife Duff of the Union of Students inIreland (USI). “What comes up time and again is the need for affordable, secureaccommodation.”The project also rolled out €14,000 in tax relief for homeowners renting out rooms as “digs”,which students have been urged to take up as a cheap alternative to student housing. However,the USI and student unions have warned against digs, which provide no tenant rights or legalprotection to renting students.Tenant's rights workshops are available from the UCCSU, and the University is available to helpwith housing disputes and queries.