Research Snapshot: European student housing
International student housing: How are exchange students in Europe navigating the housing crisis?
Published date: 11 July 2023
In response to numerous reports from students across Europe expressing concerns about acute housing conditions, the European Students' Union (ESU) and the Erasmus Student Network (ESN) launched a snap survey in early November 2022. The survey's findings are intended to provide Higher Education Institutions and policymakers with an evidence-based assessment of the existing challenges and lay the foundation for new initiatives to address them together with the students. This research will be valuable to Higher Education Institutions, National Agencies and European Institutions.
With this research we want to go deeper into the problem of international students finding suitable accommodation and find possible solutions to guide higher education institutions, national and European authorities.
About the authors
Authors:
- Juan Rayón González, Erasmus Student Network
- Matteo Vespa, European Students' Union
Co-authors:
- Giorgos A. Papaioannou, Erasmus Student Network
- Wim Gabriels, Erasmus Student Network
- Emily MacPherson, European Students' Union
- Katrina Sproge, European Students' Union
- Tanguy Guibert, European Students' Union
Key findings from the research:
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Only 16% of students found accommodation after their arrival in the exchange destination, with important differences between countries. In Italy, 28% of students found it after, while in Poland it was only 8%
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A quarter of survey respondents experienced scams, showing the need for better support measures. More than 38% of students going to Italy where victims of scams, while only 10% of students going to Finland did.
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More than half of students spent more than €400 per month on their accommodation. Total housing expenses depend more on the availability of higher education institution housing than on the country’s average prices for housing.
