The development of the housing situation for mobile students in Europe is alarming.
This is the result of the research conducted in the framework of the HousErasmus+ project, which can be found below. The research shows that finding accommodation has become a major obstacle to student mobility and is a real challenge for those who decide to study or do a traineeship abroad during their studies.
As the project has investigated the current status quo of housing for international students throughout Europe, it was evident that there is a vast diversity and fragmentation of the student accommodation market. At the same time, some common patterns could be observed across Europe. According to the research findings, the 9 most pressing issues are the following:
- Lack of awareness amongst stakeholders
- Need for more cooperation
- Lack of quality information and quality assurance
- Discrimination & fraud Financial burden
- Insufficient student housing
- Lack of short-term accommodation
- Language barrier and cultural differences
- Trainees are facing most challenges
The results of the project further present all stakeholders with good practices that will aid mobile students. This includes how Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) can implement a common student accommodation quality label, like in Manchester, England, or deepen collaboration with student organisations, such as the Erasmus Student Network (ESN), with the objective of supporting mobile students with housing issues through a peer-to-peer approach.
Based on the research results and the mapping of good practices, the HousErasmus+ project consortium released recommendations for all stakeholders: student organisations, HEIs, housing providers, local/regional/national policymakers and the European Commission. The overview of the good practices and the recommendations is available here.
The HousErasmus+ project was conducted by a consortium including the European University Foundation, the ESN, the Compostela Group of Universities (GCU), and the Network of Universities from the Capitals of Europe (UNICA). With the aim of mapping the current housing situation in Europe for international students and offering a platform for exchanging experience and good practices between stakeholders, the research activities of the project have consisted of desk research, surveys among different stakeholders, study visits, and regional conferences.
The EUF commits itself to continue to work for higher quality in student mobility and to eradicate its social selectivity. We will use the research results to advocate for the necessary implementations on a European level and hope that all stakeholders will take full advantage of the results of the project.
Read the final report.