From assignment to action plan: students take on the housing crisis in The Hague
The Hague has positioned itself as a vibrant student city, and with its growing student population is well on its way to becoming one. But the student housing market is struggling to keep pace. And that’s a problem. ‘We don’t want to be Leiden’s poor relation.’
The student housing market in The Hague is under pressure. There is a shortage of accommodation, rents are high and the rules are restrictive. If The Hague really wants to be a vibrant student city, change is needed, say students Wouter Gispen, Sieb Kooijman, Femke van der Klaauw, Anneli Lambrigger and Jasper Jansen. These second-year Leiden University College (LUC) students investigated the student housing market and presented a housing manifesto to the municipality.
Student houses
‘It began as a study assignment but developed into a manifesto with recommendations’, laughs Wouter Gispen, who shares their findings, together with Femke van der Klaauw. The study was shaped by their own experiences as students in The Hague.
‘It’s urgent’, says Femke. ‘Student numbers are increasing. You see adverts everywhere presenting The Hague as the fastest-growing student city. The new university building on Spui has just opened. All very positive, of course, but where are all these students supposed to live? Finding suitable accommodation is incredibly difficult.’
‘Students are scattered across the city’, Wouter adds. ‘There’s no real culture of shared student housing – there’s hardly any proper student houses at all. There are mainly studios that cost you an arm and a leg. These studios are self-contained flats, which also contribute to rising levels of loneliness among students. That has to change. We no longer want to be Leiden’s poorer relative.’
Municipality of The Hague: ‘Shared housing has clear benefits, and we’re taking that message on board’
‘It’s great to see this generation making its voice heard’, says alderman Co Engberts. ‘And better still is if we can bring ideas and policy together. Their message was clear: don’t just build studios. While practical, they also cause loneliness. Shared housing has clear benefits, and we’re taking that message on board.’
Three recommendations
The students analysed the Municipality of The Hague’s policy and interviewed politicians, housing market experts, policymakers, DUWO student housing provider and property developers. This resulted in a manifesto with three recommendations for The Hague City Council:
- Relax regulations on converting properties into student housing: it should be easier to create shared accommodation.
- Scrap the ‘liveability’ criterion at the neighbourhood level for student housing.
- Encourage the construction of shared student housing, with fewer studios and more properties with shared living spaces.
The manifesto was presented to The Hague City Council last month and a meeting with alderman Co Engberts is scheduled for mid-May. ‘We expect to be taken seriously’, says Wouter. ‘It won’t just be a symbolic presentation of the manifesto. We are going into the meeting with an open mind and hope the municipality will take concrete steps in the coming years.’
Although the students themselves will no longer be studying in The Hague in a few years, the issue continues to concern them. ‘We’ve already received our credits for this report. Everything we’re doing now is voluntary’, says Femke. ‘We’re doing this for the students who come after us.’
The municipality responds to the student recommendations
1: Allow more self-contained housing to be converted into student rooms.
‘By recently relaxing the rules on shared accommodation in the Housing Regulations, The Hague City Council is creating more opportunities for a broader group of people seeking housing’, says Co Engberts. ‘Young people benefit from this. We do not prioritise students over other young people: our policies apply to all young people, not just those who are studying.’
2: Abolish the ‘liveability’ criterion per neighbourhood for converting housing to student accommodation.
‘The students say that shared housing is not the cause of reduced liveability. However, liveability is under pressure in some neighbourhoods in The Hague. At present, the council does not consider it desirable to increase housing density in these areas [all forms of alterations to existing buildings, such as adding extra storeys, converting into rooms, or splitting dwellings].
3: Encourage DUWO to build more student housing with shared living spaces.
‘Rooms generate lower rental income, which places pressure on the business case for new-build projects. In combination with housing benefit, studios are financially attractive for both students and developers. That’s why we, as a municipality, believe housing benefit should also be available for shared accommodation, and we are urging the government to take steps in this direction.
‘As a municipality, we recognise the benefits of shared housing for students because it enhances their well-being and their overall student experience. Now that we have been presented with this manifesto, we will continue our discussions with DUWO and jointly advocate for housing benefits for shared housing. DUWO co-authored the Student Accommodation Action Plan, which emphasises the importance of more shared housing.’