Flemish education institutions to build over 1,700 student rooms in coming years

Thanks to 100 million euros in interest-free loans from the Flemish government, higher education institutions will be able to build at least 1,744 affordable rooms for students in the coming years. Student cities such as Ghent and Leuven have been experiencing a shortage of student rooms for several years.

Flemish Housing minister Matthias Diependaele announced the news on Thursday. Seven projects from five institutions have been selected, representing 1,744 new rooms. KU Leuven and UGent will be able to realise two projects each, while HoGent, Thomas More Kempen and VUB have been accepted for one project each.

Affordable rooms

The new rooms are meant to be affordable for students with low incomes. They will be able to rent the rooms at prices set by the universities themselves, which would be lower than the normal rent prices.

Every room built will be a 'basic room', consisting of a private room with a washbasin. The kitchen and sanitary facilities such as shower and toilet are shared.

The budget of €100 million in interest-free loans is budget neutral: the subsidy for residential car parks has been abolished to finance the project.

Minister Diependaele will provide another €100 million in loans to social housing companies and a further €26.5 million for the purchase of land. Taken together, the initiatives should result in 3,300 new student places in Flanders, according to the minister.

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