THE CURRENT housing landscape is a “significant threat” to businesses in the Mid West and across Ireland, and student accommodation should be considered more in conversations about affordable housing.
That’s according to Limerick Chamber who have released their Budget 2024 submission to Government.
As part of their submission, the Chamber have asked that Government “begin to look at the housing crisis from an innovative point of view”.
According to the Chamber, Budget 2024 should provide for Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) to be built either directly by the State, or by its assistance with the Higher Education Authority in building and managing more accommodation, with the Chamber saying that “student housing is often overlooked in affordable housing discussions”.
The pre-Budget submission urges that regions with an existing significant student population, as well as projected growth in student numbers, be considered.
Areas such as Limerick and the Mid West should be considered for additional student accommodation based on the growing student numbers in the area, according to the report.
A failure to address the issue of student housing would lead to “increased challenges” for domestic students, and would “diminish Ireland’s attractiveness for international students”.
According to the report, the use of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) should also be considered in an effort to increase student housing stock.
“Budget 2024 must commit to examining the potential use of Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) to build student housing.”
“Operating in a similar way to existing PPPs however the Government would have the right to buy at a pre-agreed price at the end of a predetermined timeline,” the Chamber said.
