Student housing provider SSH& has not been able to provide accommodation for all international students. For this reason, the university’s International Office is calling upon property companies in the city more and more often.

Over the past five years, student housing provider SSH& and its offerings have grown along with the increasing number of international students. Manager of strategy and housing at SSH&, Vincent Buitenhuis, proudly refers to the 120 additional rooms that have recently been added with the completion of Boeckstaetehof, near the Goffert station. SSH& also provides furnished accommodation for many international first-year students.

Keeping up

The only issue is that SSH& cannot keep up with the demand. Of the roughly 1000 international students (both regular and exchange) that have obtained a room via Radboud University for this academic year, SSH& only houses 800. These are called ‘short-stay accommodation’: rooms that can be rented for a year. After that, the tenants have to go out and find a room the good old-fashioned way.

‘We work with private parties, such as Dornick B.V. from property developer Ton Hendriks’

There is currently no room for 200 of the international students at SSH& properties. The International Office found rooms for them by using the private rental market. ‘We work with private parties for years, such as Dornick B.V. from property developer Ton Hendriks, Guesthouse Nijmegen, and Bungalowpark de Zeven Heuvelen, which all have properties in and around Nijmegen’, says Wessel Meijer, Head of the International Office. In his experience, it works great. ‘This method still allows us to successfully find housing for all international students. Of course, it also means extra work for us, but that’s fine.’

Mix

Student housing provider SSH& hopes to be able to offer more spots next year with Boeckstaetehof. ‘However’, warns Buitenhuis, ‘we’re starting to hit our upper limit. At Hoogeveldt, 30% of the residents are currently international students and at Vossenveld, it’s 40%. We don’t think that percentage should be any higher. We aim to have a good mix of Dutch and international students.’