The city council of Ghent (East Flanders) has approved a set of recommendation to address the shortage of student rooms in the university city. The agreement envisages large student villages outside the city centre as well as a ban on new student rooms in certain neighbourhoods to increase quality of life for residents.
Ghent faces a shortage of 10,000 student rooms and this is a shortage that is only set to rise in coming years. The recommendations that have now been approved and are intended to address this shortage have the support of the present coalition, but also of opposition parties.
In future thousands of students will be housed in student villages, often outside the city centre. Precise plans still need to be developed, but this is a start. Smaller student housing complexes will in future be linked to individual educational bodies and an official will be appointed to ensure any nuisance students cause to the local neighbourhood is limited.
More basic accommodation needed
More and more students are experiencing difficulties finding affordable accommodation. The Flemish student council argued in favour of obliging a minimum quota of basic rooms in all developments. The council has taken this demand on board. Twenty percent of rooms in new large developments will have to provide basic and not luxury accommodation.
Student room stop in some neighbourhoods
The plans envisage a stop on the construction of new student digs in certain neighbourhoods. The move is an attempt to ensure quality of life for existing residents doesn’t go downhill. Only renovation projects will be allowed.
Ghent has been making efforts to prevent students renting entire properties in residential areas and sharing the costs. The tax on second homes has been increased. The city hopes this will make buying a property that can be used as student digs for your children less attractive as such purchases reduce the number of properties on offer for local families. There are also plans for uniform rules on house sharing. Ghent intends to relax rules for people willing to let a room to students in their own home too.
The present city cabinet will start to implement the new recommendations, but the unusual degree of cooperation between majority and opposition parties on Ghent city council over this issue shows it is a matter that will not be sorted in the short term.