Queen’s University set to invest £100 million, plans to expand accommodation for students, staff in Belfast

Around 3,000 rooms will be needed in Belfast within the next five years for Queen’s University students in line with the demand for high quality accommodation.

Queen’s University Belfast is planning to invest up to £100 million over the next four years as part of its overall plan to help meet an unprecedented upsurge in demand for international students’ accommodation.

Queen’s University Belfast to invest £100 million for students' accommodation (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

According to a press release issued by the university, the announcement followed a recent UK-wide report by StuRents, a leading student accommodation search, property management, and data platform which revealed that the UK is set to face a shortfall of around 450,000 student beds by 2025.

As per the release, an estimated 3,000 more rooms will be needed in Belfast within the next five years for Queen’s University students alone in line with an increased demand from students opting to live in high-quality student accommodation.

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Additionally, a total of 55,465 Indian students were in the UK on a student visa, the data used by the UK Government in 2022 revealed. Besides, the Government of the UK had granted a total of 142,848 student visas to Indian nationals in June 2023, the Home Office informed.

The growth plan:

• The university at Dublin Road, Laganbank, and Brunswick Street are the three locations selected as part of the accommodation growth plan, within the Queen’s ambitious Strategy 2030, the release stated.
• The range of highly sustainable accommodation will create additional places for Queen’s students, staff, and their families.

Caroline Young, Vice President of Students and Corporate Services at Queen’s said: “We have been aware of and planning for a major increase in demand for student accommodation in recent years, and through this significant investment, we are ensuring we are prepared to respond effectively. There is a specific focus on the need for high quality, affordable, and safe housing options, near Queen’s.”

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She added, “Securing these three sites close to Queen’s and the city center, is not only putting us on the front foot in terms of keeping our best students at home and attracting others from elsewhere, but it will also have a hugely positive effect on the city as a whole in terms of attracting developers, businesses and better services and crucially will help deliver Belfast City Council Agenda for 66,000 more residents living in our city center by 2030.”