We’re reassuring students that there is enough student housing to meet anticipated demand in Durham for the next academic year, and we’re supporting them to take their time in choosing accommodation.
We’ve launched an information campaign for students reassuring them that a detailed assessment of the housing market shows that there will be enough student accommodation to meet anticipated demand for the 2024/25 academic year.
As part of the campaign, we’ve launched an online Housing Hub, with information and resources to support students through the house hunting process.
Aware that in previous years students have felt pressure to sign increasingly early, over the past year we’ve worked with City of Durham MP Mary Kelly Foy, Durham Students’ Union, letting agents, landlords, City of Durham Parish Council and Durham County Council with the aim of ensuring a student housing market that works for everyone in Durham.
A multi-agency Housing Group has also developed a Student Lettings Code of Practice for landlords and letting agents.
This enables responsible agents and landlords to demonstrate their commitment to putting student welfare at the heart of their practices.
In the period to 2019, we grew our student numbers, in a carefully planned and managed way, focusing on certain key departments.
Our intake was higher than anticipated in 2020 and 2021 due to unexpected shifts in A-level grading, but we responded by reducing our intake for 2022.
Earlier this year we undertook a refresh of our ten-year Strategy.
This reaffirmed that we would manage student intake and accommodation mindful of its impact on Durham City.
In coming years, we will not grow our student numbers significantly, but will diversify its social and international mix.
We remain committed to our collegiate model under which most first-year undergraduates live in University accommodation, and we’re aiming that 40-45% of our students will live in University-owned or -managed accommodation by 2027.
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