In major university cities across Europe, students are being priced out, pushed into low-quality housing, or left without accommodation altogether. Purpose-built student housing has become a lucrative real-estate niche dominated by luxury developments that most students cannot afford. The result is a growing divide between those who can study comfortably and those who may not be able to study at all, writes Duarte Lopes, a member of the Executive Committee of the European Students’ Union. He shared with us the ESU’s wish list for Europe’s new housing strategy — one that puts student housing at the top of the agenda.

By Duarte Lopes

Across Europe, students are facing a housing emergency that threatens the very foundations of equitable higher education. In almost every major university city, students are being priced out, pushed into poor-quality accommodation, or left without a home altogether. Housing insecurity has become one of the biggest barriers to accessing and completing higher education — and a clear sign of systemic failure.

For decades, governments have treated housing as a market issue rather than a social one. Public investments in dormitories and affordable rental housing have been neglected, while speculative private investments have flourished. In many cities, student housing has become a lucrative real estate niche, dominated by luxury developments that exclude the majority of students. The result is a widening gap between those who can afford to study in comfort and those who cannot afford to study at all.

The European Students’ Union (ESU) represents over 20 million students across the continent. From our perspective, housing insecurity is now one of the most urgent social justice issues in higher education. Without a stable and affordable home, the right to education is incomplete.

We see this crisis reflected in students’ daily lives. Many spend more than half of their income on rent, juggling jobs to cover basic expenses and facing the combined pressure of rising housing costs and the broader cost-of-living crisis, creating constant financial stress. This insecurity directly impacts students’ mental health and academic performance, and is a major driver of anxiety, burnout and overall decline in mental well-being. Because affordable options are increasingly unavailable near campuses, students are frequently pushed to live far outside university areas, facing long commutes that reduce their time on campus, limit class attendance and isolate them from academic and social life. The result is an environment where students are physically present at university but excluded from fully engaging in the learning experience, which goes beyond mere class attendance.

Others live in overcrowded, unsafe or unhealthy spaces, and are sometimes without proper heating or sanitation. International students, unfamiliar with local housing markets, face scams and discrimination before they even arrive in their host countries. Hidden homelessness among students — sleeping in cars or on friends’ sofas — is no longer rare.

This is not inevitable. The housing crisis is the consequence of political choices. The ESU therefore welcomes the EU’s initiative to create a European Affordable Housing Plan and to find global solutions to the issue. Europe must restore the role of public authorities (at national, regional and local levels) and higher education institutions as active providers of affordable housing.

The ESU is calling for a European strategy that includes student housing as a key priority. This should involve:

• large-scale investments in public and cooperative student housing, financed through EU structural and social funds;
• rent frameworks to prevent speculation and ensure affordability;
• minimum standards for quality and safety for all student accommodation;
• tenant protection laws that guard against discrimination and exploitation; and
• meaningful student participation in housing policymaking at all levels.

We also need targeted solutions for mobile students. Erasmus+ grants must be adjusted to reflect real living costs, and universities should work with municipalities to reserve housing for exchange and international students. No one should risk getting scammed or having to reject an opportunity to study because they cannot find a roof to keep over their head.

Promising examples already exist. In Vienna, social housing ensures stability for generations. In Finland, student housing foundations provide affordable, high-quality accommodation. In Portugal, we can see a broad-scale use of the recovery and resilience plan to build new public student housing and to rebuild old units.

What we need now is European coordination to scale these good practices across the continent.

The time for incremental measures has passed. Housing is a right and not a commodity. Every student deserves to live and study in dignity — without fear of eviction, exploitation or poverty.

Duarte Lopes is a Portuguese student representative and Executive Committee member of the European Students’ Union (ESU). Holding a Law degree from the University of Minho, he has served as president of the Students’ Union of the University of Minho, president of the Portuguese National Union and advisor to the Portuguese National Youth Council. He was recently elected to the Advisory Council on Youth of the Council of Europe. Within the ESU, Duarte is dedicated to strengthening the political impact of student representation, engaging member unions and advancing youth rights at the European level. He believes in the power of student-led advocacy for positive change across societies.