Glasgow, Scotland's largest city, is grappling with a significant shortfall in student housing, a challenge that has intensified over the past decade. Since 2015, the number of students in Glasgow has surged by more than 20,000, while the city has added almost 6,000 purpose-built student rooms to its housing stock. However, this increase has proven insufficient to meet the burgeoning demand, leaving a gap of over 6,000 student accommodations.
In response to rising rents and a lack of available housing, Glasgow City Council declared a housing emergency in 2023. The council has approved planning permission for 3,222 additional student beds last year and accepted 34 planning applications for purpose-built student housing since 2015. Despite these efforts, the city continues to struggle with a "major supply shortage," as highlighted in a recent report supporting a planning application.
The city center has seen the completion of 20 student blocks since 2015, with many developments concentrated in this area. These housing projects aim to accommodate the growing student population at institutions like Glasgow University, which alone has increased its student body by more than 12,000 since 2015. Strathclyde University and Glasgow Caledonian University have also experienced significant growth in their student numbers.
"A lot of the student developments are on the periphery of Glasgow city centre, where the residential population is relatively low. These developments bring young people and commerce to these areas, so I think, in a sense, it's positive for the neighbourhoods." – Prof James White
Despite the benefits of student developments in revitalizing less populated areas, concerns remain about the sustainability of relying solely on students to drive neighborhood growth.
"Being wholly reliant on students is problematic from a sustainability perspective." – Prof James White
Developers like Watkin Jones have described the situation as a "chronic undersupply" of student accommodation. This shortage poses significant challenges for students and threatens to impact their educational experience adversely. A report co-authored by Glasgow University warns that thousands of students face the risk of homelessness due to the persistent housing shortfall.
In addition to addressing the immediate housing crisis, Glasgow aims to increase its city center population to 40,000 by 2035 as part of its city centre living strategy. A notable project contributing to this goal is a proposed 26-storey student housing block in Anderston, designed to accommodate 410 students. This development is part of a broader effort to create a more vibrant and densely populated urban core.
