Setting up accessible student housing: solutions and procedures
Providing accessible student housing is a key issue in ensuring equal opportunities and promoting student success. This article explores the solutions and approaches needed to develop affordable housing that meets students' specific needs. By identifying priority accessibility criteria and engaging local stakeholders, it is possible to create an environment conducive to the development and academic success of young people.
Summary :
- Identify student housing needs
- Create an affordable student housing offer
- Optimizing access to housing assistance
- Involve local stakeholders
Identify student housing needs
Research the local student housing market
To effectively assess the supply and demand for student housing in a given city or region, it is essential to conduct a thorough market study. This analysis must take into account several key factors, such as the number of students enrolled in local higher education institutions, the capacity of existing university residences, and the supply of private housing available on the market.
It is also important to study students' housing preferences and expectations, particularly in terms of location, comfort, services, and budget. Surveys of students and industry professionals can provide valuable information to guide investment and development decisions.
By comparing supply and demand data, it will be possible to identify potential market imbalances and propose appropriate solutions. This could involve building new student residences, renovating existing buildings, or establishing partnerships with private landlords to increase the supply of affordable, high-quality housing.
Close collaboration between higher education institutions, local authorities, and housing stakeholders is essential to developing a coherent and effective student housing strategy. This coordinated approach will best meet the needs of students while contributing to the attractiveness and dynamism of the region.
Define priority accessibility criteria
Price is a determining factor in choosing student housing. Affordable rents allow students, often financially strapped, to find accommodation without putting an excessive strain on their budget.
Location also plays a key role. Proximity to the place of study, shops, and public transportation greatly facilitates students' daily lives by avoiding long, time-consuming and costly commutes.
Finally, suitable equipment such as a functional kitchen, a high-performance internet connection or even a dedicated workspace significantly improve the comfort of life and academic success of students.
Create an affordable student housing offer
Developing student residences
The creation of a student residence meets strict standards aimed at ensuring the safety and comfort of occupants. Requirements in terms of accessibility, energy performance, and quality of equipment require significant investments from real estate developers.
The financial structure of such a project generally relies on a combination of equity, bank loans, and government subsidies. The economic viability of the operation depends on the ability to offer affordable rents while ensuring a balanced budget over the long term.
Once completed, the residence requires rigorous management to provide students with a fulfilling living environment conducive to the success of their studies. This involves the implementation of appropriate services such as reception, maintenance of common areas, and community activities. These are all tasks that require dedicated staff and efficient organization to balance cost control with quality services.
Encourage student shared accommodation
Shared accommodation is an attractive solution for students facing housing shortages and high housing costs in some cities. It allows students to share rent and utility costs while enjoying a friendly living environment conducive to socializing.
For landlords, renting a large apartment to multiple students can be more profitable than looking for a single tenant. Shared accommodation also secures rental income thanks to the solidarity between roommates in the face of unpaid rent.
In order to develop this type of student housing, it is essential to regulate it to protect the various parties. Establishing a clear shared tenancy agreement defining the rights and responsibilities of each party and using a guarantor for each roommate are essential prerequisites. Specific aid could also be put in place to encourage landlords to engage in student shared accommodation in exchange for commitments regarding the quality and price of the accommodation offered.
Optimizing access to housing assistance
Simplify administrative procedures
To simplify and speed up the process of applying for housing assistance for students, several avenues can be explored:
- Set up a one-stop shop bringing together all available assistance (CAF assistance, specific assistance from local authorities, Crous assistance, etc.)
- Go Paperless completely streamlines application procedures by allowing all required supporting documents to be submitted online
- Establish the "tell us once" principle to prevent students from providing the same documents multiple times to different organizations
- Shorten the processing times for files by setting service commitments for the various stakeholders involved
- Pay aid from the first month's rent to ease students' cash flow when they move in
- Relax the eligibility criteria to expand the number of beneficiaries, particularly those who cannot be attached to their parents' tax household
- Better inform students about their rights through targeted communication campaigns and the mobilization of higher education establishments
- Experiment with enhanced support systems for the most vulnerable groups (students moving out, foreign students, etc.)
- Regularly evaluate the effectiveness and impact of student housing assistance and adjust it if necessary.
A proactive simplification policy, supported jointly by the State and local authorities, is essential to enable students to devote themselves fully to their success.
Inform about existing support systems
Several financial aids exist to support students in their search for accommodation:
- CROUS social criteria grants, which give priority to scholarship students in the allocation of university residence halls. The amount of the grant depends on the level awarded based on parental income.
- CAF housing assistance (APL, ALS), which helps reduce the amount of rent. Their allocation and amount vary depending on resources, family situation, and the characteristics of the housing.
- Student rental deposits (CLÉ), a government scheme that acts as guarantor for students who cannot provide a parental guarantee, facilitate access to private rental accommodation.
- Installation assistance offered by certain local authorities, which can cover part of the costs associated with moving in (security deposit, first rent, purchase of furniture, etc.).
It is essential that higher education institutions widely disseminate information about this assistance to their students. The establishment of one-stop shops dedicated to housing, bringing together all stakeholders, can also contribute to greater clarity of existing systems.
Involve local stakeholders
Collaborate with educational institutions
Universities and colleges are facing a shortage of housing to accommodate their students, particularly in large cities. However, these institutions often have land available and can form partnerships to develop affordable and suitable accommodations.
By partnering with local authorities, social housing providers, and private investors, higher education institutions have the ability to undertake large-scale real estate projects that meet the needs of their students. Their commitment is essential to initiating these projects, defining the needs and services to be integrated, and ensuring priority allocation of housing to their students.
Seek support from local communities
The lack of affordable housing for students is a major challenge in many university towns. Faced with this shortage, local authorities have several levers at their disposal to encourage the development of housing options adapted to the needs and budgets of young people.
By mobilizing land, providing loan guarantees, or directly subsidizing construction, municipalities and regions can encourage social landlords and private developers to invest in student-focused programs. Innovative partnerships involving all stakeholders make it possible to design residences offering moderate rents and services that meet the needs of young people (coworking spaces, gyms, laundromats, etc.).
Local authorities can also support the development of shared accommodation by providing specific assistance to landlords who agree to rent their property to multiple students. Legal and tax support, as well as financial incentives (rental bonuses, tax breaks, etc.), can reassure landlords and increase the supply of large shared accommodation.
Finally, by launching calls for projects for the rehabilitation of vacant buildings (old barracks, brownfield sites, etc.) and by relaxing certain urban planning standards, cities can encourage the transformation of unused premises into student housing, in the heart of campuses or lively neighborhoods. This is an opportunity to be seized in light of the urgency of the situation.
In conclusion, setting up accessible student housing is a major challenge, but one that can be overcome with the involvement of all local stakeholders. Carefully identifying needs, proposing affordable and tailored solutions, simplifying access to aid, and encouraging partnerships are all levers that can be activated. Innovative solutions such as intergenerational shared accommodation or the conversion of vacant buildings into student residences deserve further experimentation. Finally, digitizing and personalizing the student journey, from application to settlement, would provide a simplified and reassuring experience, similar to what Emundus offers for admission to higher education institutions.
