Thursday 19-10-2023 - 17:59

Student Housing – Student Leaders Update

With houses beginning to appear on the market for 2024/25 tenancies, and visible queues outside of estate agents in recent days, students have rightly asked what we have been doing to influence the housing market in Durham for the better, and what they can do to help.
 

What your SU Officers have been doing

• The University “Housing Hub”: This was recently launched as an advice service to assist with house hunting in Durham. We have consulted with the University on the broader tone and purpose of this hub and asked it to show students the evidence collected about the number of beds available for greater transparency, which it has agreed to publish in the coming days. Some of our suggestions have been adopted by the University, and we’re continuing to push for others which we think are important.
• Housing support from Durham SU: The Housing Hub is a separate resource from the SU’s own housing support, including the independent advice we provide students through our ASK service, our online housing resources and the advice of Durham Tenants’ Union and other groups external to the SU, such as common rooms. Our ASK service is expanding the ways students can access our independent housing advice and making this, and we’re working on improving our own information and resources, tailoring them to what students need this year.

Our work going forward

Code of Practice:

Last year, the University, Durham County Council (DCC) and the SU, with the support of a few local letting agents and landlords, created a Student Lettings Code of Practice in response to large queues and issues experienced by students in previous years. At the time of its agreement, this was a significant step towards a better housing landscape. However, since then, some estate agents have pulled out because of disagreement over release dates. We want to be transparent about this, and honest about the fact that, as a result, the Code of Practice is now far too weak. But it can be salvaged in a stronger future iteration. This must:

• Ensure Durham University and Durham County Council work together so that joining the scheme is incentivised.
• Provide a plan to attract more signatories to the Code.
• Not be seen as more than it is. Durham needs more than a voluntary code of practice to solve its student housing problem, but an effective one will be a valuable tool for students.

So, what can you do to help? Ask your letting agents and landlord if they’ve signed the Code. If not, why not? Let us know what they say at su.president@durham.ac.uk

Accountability for affordability

Second: affordability. We know that the housing crisis both here and nationally, is as much about price as it is supply. The University has said there are enough beds. But how many affordable beds are there? We have asked, repeatedly, and everyone refuses to answer.

Durham University sets the rent for over a third of all student beds and, by the end of 2027, it wants to set rent for 45% of them. We want Durham University to:

• Provide an assessment of how its dominant position in the market and the price point of its accommodation offer is impacting competition and price in the wider Durham student rental market. We believe this problem cannot be properly tackled without addressing the high cost of Durham University’s college accommodation.
• Increase the value of financial support available for students this year, in line with increasing rents.
• Ensure admissions are tied to the number of affordable beds available in the city.

What can you do? The University has ignored students’ concerns about affordability, but they’re more likely to act if you and your parents/guardians get involved too. Ask them to email the Vice-Chancellor (vice.chancellor@durham.ac.uk) asking the University for its impact assessment of its rents on the private market. Ask for its intentions to influence private rents in the future and let us know what they say at su.president@durham.ac.uk

Linking housing to access and participation

Our work and contribution on access and participation will directly consider the impact Durham University has (through its own role as a landlord and through admissions levels) on cost in the rental market in Durham, along with other financial barriers to success at Durham.

Building alternatives

As an SU, we remain committed to supporting and finding ways to build alternative models to the current housing system with the aim of proving that housing can be affordable, inhabitable and more than just a place to live. We continue to work towards this goal behind the scenes.

Cost of living and housing are undeniably linked. The University has ignored complaints and concerns over years, denying it has a key role in contributing to a cost of student living which is unaffordable for many. We stand in opposition to this willful ignorance. We ask you to join us in doing so.

If you need support at any point, should you find yourself facing financial challenges, please reach out to your college or to the SU and we will both do everything we can to help.

 

SU President – Dan Lonsdale

SU Welfare and Liberation Officer – Deborah Acheampong

Chair of JCR PresComm (on behalf of college Presidents) – Daniel Stuart

 

Links and resources

Below are links to the resources mentioned in the statement and an email address to submit your questions and contributions to.

• Independent housing advice – Durham SU’s ASK service
• Information on your rights, contracts and finding a house – Durham SU’s housing resources
• Durham University Housing Information – Housing Hub
• For contributions email: su.president@durham.ac.uk