Finding rooms in Groningen is not a piece of cake for students. Housing shortage remains. The municipality maintains a ban on converting buildings into student houses

The ban on turning houses in Groningen into student houses will be maintained. The municipal council is not in favor of a relaxation in neighbourhoods, which consist of only fifteen percent student housing.

The factions of Student & Stad and the VVD asked in vain during the council meeting on Wednesday to reduce the shortage of student rooms. A motion calling for this did not pass. The annual figures of the Kenniscentrum Studentenhuisvesting (Kences) show that 800 student rooms have disappeared in Groningen in recent years.

This is due to a municipal measure in 2017. Due to the increased noise nuisance in neighbourhoods, the municipality decided to no longer issue permits for converting buildings into student houses. It mainly concerned houses and buildings in the city center and in the Schildersbuurt. In addition, the municipal council wanted to keep housing available mainly for first-time buyers and families.

More studios

At the time, however, slightly larger studios could be made of houses. That happened on a large scale. Until September 2022, approximately 3200 student rooms were converted into nearly 2400 studios. “This loss of living space for students is unacceptable,” says council member Daan Swets of Student & Stad. He states that an expansion of 800 residential units offers some solution.

‘Ridiculous idea’

According to Student & Stad and the VVD, the necessary and planned new building is taking too long to arrive. The parties are referring to the intended new student accommodation on the Zernike campus. “We applaud this, but we are making an effort to compensate for the loss of student rooms.” The Socialist Party calls the withdrawal of housing for student housing “a ridiculous idea”. ,,Especially when you see what the municipality does for students”, says Daan Brandenbarg (SP).

According to alderman Rik van Niejenhuis (PvdA), there is no city in the Netherlands where so many new buildings have been built for students in recent years. “You specifically ask for rooms, but we know that students also like to make a living career and that there is a demand for studios.” Looking at the tight supply of homes for starters and families, Van Niejenhuis does not think that these should be replaced by student houses.

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