It seems to start earlier every year
Like the first cherry blossom signalling the start of spring, or fireworks on New Years eve, pictures of new International students in emergency shelters in Groningen have become a bit of an annual event.
With a chronic housing shortage affecting all levels of the rental market in the city, and a large number of landlords also looking to make the most money possible (for the lowest-quality housing) it is perhaps unsurprising that brightly expectant new students’ first experience in Groningen is of a repurposed event marquee with camp beds.
Anyway, this year’s ‘homeless student week’ has started in abandon with the announcement that 150 beds have been made available in an emergency shelter for the flow of international students who will come to Groningen after the summer. As reported by the GIC.
A covenant has also been signed ‘Students and Youth Housing in Groningen 2019-2022’, so that all institutions and organizations can quickly find each other, and discuss how long their respective waiting lists are.
According to the municipality, there is a peak period at the start of the academic year: new international students arrive, while graduate students often have not left their rooms yet. Based on forecasts from both the RUG and Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the parties involved have calculated that the city is approximately 150 beds short.
Emergency shelter locations
The emergency shelter that will be deployed first is the Martinihouse on the Donderslaan. The Village on the Peizerweg will open as the reception for the Martinihouse. In addition, beds have been reserved in the Budget hostel as flexible emergency accommodation.
The participants in the Covenant Student and Youth Housing in Groningen 2019-2022 are Hanze University Groningen, University of Groningen, Municipality of Groningen, Lefier, Nijestee, De Huismeesters, Stichting Studentenhuisvesting (SSH), Groninger Studentenbond and Erasmus Student Network.
Image by Taiga Ishii on Unsplash
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