Rising concerns of Student Homelessness in Edinburgh were discussed at a Parliamentary Roundtable hosted by Sarah Boyack, Scottish Labour MSP for Lothian Region yesterday.
Boyack welcomed MSPs, University and College Management Teams, and the City of Edinburgh Council to discuss what practical steps can be taken to end student homelessness.
This followed a number of private meetings Sarah Boyack had held with Student Groups and Universities that highlighted rising homelessness in Edinburgh, with NUS Scotland reporting that 10% of students had experienced homelessness at some point.
Boyack hopes that by bringing together Universities, Student Groups and MSPs, a long-term strategy to tackle student homelessness can be developed and implemented by a range of stakeholders.
Commenting following the roundtable, Sarah Boyack said: “With over 100,000 students across our five higher and further education institutions, the scramble to find somewhere to live has become untenable.
“Last summer we saw the very real consequences of this, with students forced into expensive temporary accommodation, sofa surfing or having to commute at great expense just to make their classes.
“We even saw common rooms being turned into emergency dormitory rooms, housing eight or nine people because students had no other options.
“At the meeting we heard that rents in Private Built Student Accommodation are now between £300 and £450 a week. With the cost of living crisis and rising financial pressures, it’s becoming harder for Scottish students from disadvantaged backgrounds to attend University or College.
“There has been a systematic failing, with the model of expensive Purpose Built Student Accommodation being chosen at the expense of affordable accommodation.
“Our meeting was constructive and we agreed to work together to find practical solutions that bring an end to Student Homelessness and rocketing rents for good.”
The NUS report on homelessness can be accessed here:
Cost of Survival: Report – NUS Scotland (nus-scotland.org.uk)