Homeowners have been urged to help ease the student accommodation crisis by renting out a room and in turn benefit from a generous tax break.
The Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris has appealed to homeowners to consider renting rooms to students ahead of the start of the new academic year, in what he admitted is “a very challenging environment”.
Student unions all over the nation have issued warnings that the housing crisis and the Ukrainian crisis will make it extremely difficult for students to find accommodations.
Simon Harris said that, the Rent-a-Room programme may increase the number of beds available for students by thousands, and homeowners who participate can earn up to €14,000 a year tax-free.
Mr Harris said that those on welfare can avail of the scheme without impacting their entitlements and that 140 properties around UCC had been let thus far.
Mr. Harris described the student accommodation scenario as “extremely tough” yesterday when speaking at Trinity College.
“This is the first year all students will be returning to campuses and colleges for what we hope is a regular college year,” he said.
Mr Harris said he does not believe the current student accommodation policy is adequate and must be changed.
He said that the Government is looking at ways to help third-level institutions activate planning permissions.
“I don’t think the policy is acceptable, I haven’t thought that for a long time, so since I’ve taken on this role that’s what we want to change. Which means for the very first time, the Government will invest hard-earned taxpayer money to help bridge that gap so that they can build college-owned affordable accommodation.
“I am excited about that because colleges, many of them, have landbanks. Many of them have planning permission. And I think that we can really change the face of student accommodation.”
Asked if he believed that many students must accept that long commutes will be part and parcel of student life from now on, Mr Harris said moves had been made to cut costs for those who live far from colleges.
He said he “bristled” at suggestions that Ukrainian refugees were being housed in priority over students.
“I really don’t mean to bristle at that language, but I do bristle at that language because this is an extraordinarily challenging humanitarian situation, and there aren’t any easy options here. “And so it’s constantly a balance — a balance between trying to meet the needs of lots of different sectors, and at the same time meet our moral, ethical obligations to support people.”
News source : Irish Examiner