If you’re a family, couple, or single person in the Groningen region, you may be interested in learning more about a joint campaign that will be launched in July by the municipal authorities and Hospi Housing, a platform that connects international students with potential host families. The campaign aims to encourage local residents to become host families and help house the latest cohort of international students – and earn some cash in the process!
Groningen is home to several universities and schools which offer a wide range of courses suited to all abilities, and welcome students from all over the world. The city now urges locals to open up their houses and apartments and give students the best Groningen experience ever.
And with the current surge in the cost of living, the extra income generated by becoming a host family can be most beneficial. Until recently, renting out rooms to students was prohibited in Groningen, but that is changing now.
Hospi Housing conducts all necessary checks and helps hosts to temporarily take in a student. At the same time, the agency ensures that students are not charged an exorbitant amount of money and that they have a safe place to stay. Hosts can earn an average of €400 per month while helping students begin a new life in the city. The service is free for hosts and host families, while students have to pay a one-time fee.
Hospi Housing is already active in Utrecht, Leiden, and Maastricht. It has established a network of over 200 hosts in those cities; more that 5000 students have used the company’s services so far. The agreement between the municipality and Hospi Housing is valid for two years, for academic years 2022-2023 and 2023-2024. The goal is to help at least a hundred students find a host family. The project will be implemented in collaboration with the University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, the Groningen Student Union, Shelter Our Students, and Erasmus Student Network Groningen.
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