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| Dec 2007 |
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Purpose Built Development:National HMO Lobby Support (With Qualifications)
Dr.Richard Tyler UK Dec 2007
The National HMO Lobby supports the provision of Purpose Built Development (PBD) with qualifications. While it is the only way to relieve pressure on family housing, and address the main driver of the concentrations of HMOs, without adequate safeguards, it is not a panacea.
Some key considerations for increasing the success of PBD’s are:
The siting of purpose-built development is an essential consideration. Purpose-Built Development in the wrong place (within areas of concentration) can exacerbate the situation; and insensitively sited, can actually generate new problem with demographic imbalance (which generates social, economic and environmental problems, and undermines the community’s capacity to tackle these problems). After all, the key problem is not the HMOs themselves (though conversion of family homes is of course a serious problem in itself) – rather, the key problem is the demographic imbalance.
Purpose-Built Development attracts additional HMO conversions Students leaving PBDs look for housing in the familiarity of the surrounding neighbourhood; and friends of students accommodated within PBDs also look for housing nearby.
Purpose-Built Developments are actually a deterrent to the rebalancing of a community by the immigration of long-term residents, especially families. [In Leeds, for instance, Kirkstall Brewery and Sugarwell Court have been developed as purpose-built residences outside the main student colony – and both have attracted their own local colonies.]
(Editors note: see a more indepth discussion on the National HMO lobby website at http://hmolobby.org.uk/natlocalplans.htm .)
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PBD : Not the Solution
The Student Perspective |
Students in the Community
Ama Uzowuru, Vice President (Welfare), National Union of Students (NUS)
Dec 2007 UK
The mass expansion of higher education in the UK and the accompanying increase in student numbers has created a new dynamic between students, institutions and their communities. These changes are often summed up by the ugly and unhelpful word ‘studentification’.
Last year, NUS joined with the Department for Communities and the housing charity UNIPOL in a forum to discuss the issue, producing a report called, ‘Students in the Community’ We agreed that solving issues brought about by some students in local communities requires the formation of solid, long-lasting partnerships with others stakeholders, such as the university, the local council and residents' groups.Students live, work, volunteer and play in the community, like other residents do. Some social tension and problems emerge, but these tensions are by no means exclusive to students. Indeed, it is short sighted and dangerous to discriminate against any particular group by labelling them 'outsiders' to the community.
The growth of high-density, expensive, purpose-built student developments has done little to solve problems, and risks exacerbating them. It should be remembered that these large buildings are still in the community, and that issues including crime, parking, noise, and litter still exist. Too little importance is placed on these issues when purpose-built student accommodation is proposed, and more thought needs to be given to infrastructures by accommodation providers and local authorities.
NUS calls for the use of accreditation to regulate landlords, along with the use of existing legislation, such as the Housing Act, Housing Health and Safety Rating System, environmental protection and pub licensing, to deal with some of the practical issues brought about by large student communities. Some community representatives support greater regulation of the private sector as a method of controlling development. But NUS believes property standards must reflect health, safety, and consumer requirements - not be a back-door method of control. Those who lobby the Government to introduce new controls use the language of ‘balanced and sustainable communities’, but there is very little that is balanced or sustainable in attempts to segregate and ghettoise students.
If local councils invest in infrastructure - for example, better travel links - we are confident students will broaden their view of where they chose to live, potentially providing vital regeneration and economic growth to run-down areas of cities.Investment of this kind, combined with students’ unions becoming more involved in their local communities, could really mark a sea change in relations.
These issues do all have solutions, but they are to be found in management techniques and dialogue, not in prohibition.
Editors Note. The national union of Students (NUS) is one of the largest student organisations in the world, representing over 7 million students. You can visit their website at www.nusonline.co.uk/ .The report on "Students in the Community" can be found in "Viewpoints" (Go to Report) |
Advantages of Purpose Built Developments
A Developers View
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| West Village Condos PBD, CAN |
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The Advantages of Purpose Built Development
Tommy Piribauer, Marketing and Community Relations Coordinator
West Village Condos, Ontario, CAN
DEC 2007
West Village Student Condos has quickly become the place to be for McMaster University students. On weekdays, students flock to the study and exercise rooms to keep their minds and bodies sharp. On weekends, the building comes alive as suitemates gather in the game rooms, movie rooms, or hosts gatherings in their suite with neighbours and friends.
Students and parents are comforted by the security features, including swipe card access, 24 hour security desk, and 100+ cameras located throughout the building. Students have piece of mind not having to sign up with utility companies, as heat, water, electricity, cable, and internet is already pre-packaged with the rent. A popular feature has been the bi-weekly cleaning of each tenant’s suite included in the utility package. The proximity to McMaster has been a great selling point, allowing for a short walk or convenient bus ride. Everyone is curious about the new retail operations open to the students and the public, including Charlie West restaurant, Safin Grill, and the hair salon and spa Maison Fritz.
The idea for West Village was conceived to address these concerns over sub-standard housing options and to provide a purpose-built residence off-campus that would provide services and amenities just for students. It is our continual hope that the facilities and amenities offered will put pressure on landlords who neglect their properties, and encourage better accommodations in the community overall.
The concept was strengthened by the pursuit of LEED platinum environmental standard: Students benefit from Energy Star ® appliances, air-tight construction, and sustainable operational features - all aspects that will reduce the energy consumption and the related utility costs. Students can turn to their suite electricity meter for a real-time calculation of what their current electrical usage is costing. ( Go To Website) |
PBD : Impacting Each Community Differently
Bob Karrow
Dec 2007
As always, each communities' situation has unique elements that will be touched by bringing purpose built student housing into the mix. Some of these would include;
1. Walkable communities
Walkable communities present in existing College town and neighborhoods are becoming a larger draw to year-round residents and retirees. City areas where year-round residents have the option of walking and biking to daily destinations are being marketed at a premium to non-student populations ; the demand far outstrips the supply. http://www.smartcityradio.com:80/smartcityradio/past_shows.cfm?showsmartcityID=362&PageNum_getsmartshows=1
2. Student Rentals (single family home conversions) brought huge returns for landlords and priced families and year-round residents out of existing near-university neighborhoods. During the expansion of university enrollment, while universities did not provide additional on-campus housing, the market for conversion of existing homes into student rentals (HMOs) was incredibly lucrative in university cities. Purpose built housing will negatively impact landlords who own those properties. Expect opposition from owners of current HMOs
3. More parents are purchasing homes/condos for their children attending college. This is a sub-set of student purpose-built housing. Enough demand exists in this area that a number of college towns are seeing an market develop for newly built housing sold to the university students. This often requires arrangements where the student is legally listed as the owner and rooms are rented to other students to help cover the mortgage.
4. Purpose built student rental housing complexes have become a large industry
Over the last decade, many development firms have morphed into publicly traded corporations. This is a market force even greater than the conversion of existing homes to HMOs. See http://www.studenthousingplanet.com/
Due to the economic backing and market forces driving the development of purpose built student housing complexes, there is a real opportunity for university cities to reclaim at least some walkable neighborhoods near university campuses for redevelopment as year round resident housing.
Many communities are still pretty early in to this new scenario, and quality town gown planning at this point will determine the built environment surrounding universities for the next 50 years. |
AREAS OF HIGH STUDENT HOUSEHOLD DENSITY
OFF - LIMITS FOR PBD's ?
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"In areas of existing significant student household concentration,the following development will not usually be permitted:
a) Purpose built student accommodation and alterations, extensions and re-developments of existing purpose built accommodation which would result in a net increase in bedspaces;
b) Houses in Multiple Occupancy; and
c) New flats and houses of 3 or more bedrooms unless subject to an occupation condition preventing the property being used as a dwellinghouse solely by students in full-time education living together as a single household."
(Source: "Building Balanced Communities" Nottingham City Council, 2007 UK)
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Editors Note : Common ground was found by all contributors on the need for proper site planning as well as development of good transportation links. I was somewhat surprised that the NUS response did not include some of the advantages of PBD's as outlined in the developer report. The cautions for support from our contributing journalists were also very enlightening.
PBD's seem to be the way of choice for many communities to claim back family housing, and as Bob Karrow points out, it is still early days.
Your feedback is appreciated by either using the forum or contacting me directly at editor@towngownworld.com |
Interim Planning Guidance on Purpose Built Student Housing
Newcastle, UK
Nov 2007
This report deals with planning guidance for purpose built student housing,focusing on "promoting and enabling the the development of a range of good quality purpose built student housing schemes in appropriate, sustainable locations."
An exerpt deals with the Pros and cons of this type of housing, as well as the impact on communities.(Go to exerpt) |
The Vulnerability of Student populations and a new -wave of ‘studentification'
Dr.Darren Smith UK
July,2007
Dr.Darren Smith draws on empirical evidence from the UK, USA, Canada, Australia and Ireland, to show that the manufacture and supply of purpose built student accommodation is being redefined. Pointing to the growing prominence of student gated- communities, he argues that this trend may place student populations in more vulnerable socio-spatial contexts. Dr.Smith contends that the unfolding global geographies of studentification are tied to an increasing "ghettoization" of student populations, and higher levels of social segregation. He sees that this trend will have important implications for policies which seek to foster balanced and sustainable communities, and have serious impacts on the student experience and well being.
Dr. Smith made a presentation on this topic at the Fourth Annual Conference on Population Geographies at the Chinese University of Hong Kong in July, 2007. (Go to Presentation)
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Student Housing Discussion (Video)
Canada, 2007
A Student Group produced video discussing lodging house minimum distance separation as well as purpose built developments. Interviews with students and city politicans including the Mayor. 8 minutes long. (Go to video)
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LACK OF FORMAL PLANNING FOR HOUSING NEEDS ? |
"Despite the fact that more than 50 per cent of responding post-secondary institutions expect an increase in student population over the next five years, only 21 per cent of responding institutions have plans to increase student housing on- or off-campus."
(Source: Student Housing in Canada: Developing a Methodology to Collect Data and Information Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Dec 2005 ) |
| Editors Note : TownGown World introduces "Community Report" ,where community associations from near campus neighbourhoods share their perspective of life living beside higher education institutions. In some cases, these articles highlight the importance of finding collaborative actions to develop sustainable university communities. |
Southhampton England
By Lorraine Barter, Spokesperson-Residents Action, UK
Nov 2007
Residents Action is a residents pressure group founded ten years ago to attract the Local Councils attention to the awful lifestyle suffered in the Polygon area as students moved in and there was an increase in pubs and bars opened to cater for the student market.(Go to Article) |
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PBD AS A COMMUNITY REJUVENATOR ? |
College town builds a year-round downtown
USA, 2007
In downtown East Lansing, older student rentals are making way for higher-density housing and multi-use projects.The ongoing buildup is quickly changing the face of a East Lansing’s downtown. The small-town model — motley, ragged-toothed rows of retail storefronts interrupted by asphalt parking lots — is slowly giving way to neatly fitted, postmodern slabs of brick, frosted (like cupcakes) with layers of white masonry and peaks that mirror the university buildings across Grand River.(Full Story)
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Comprehensive Planning Efforts |
Newcastle City Council Planning for Purpose Built Housing
July,2007 UK
Newcastle City Council has produced a planning guidance document in order to promote the development of a range of purpose built student housing schemes in suitable, sustainable locations throughout the city. The document identifies over 50 potential development sites to address the need for in the region of 6,000 additional student bed spaces by 2011 (as evidenced in the Newcastle Housing Strategy). (Full Story) |
Building Balanced Communities
Nottingham City Council, 2007 UK
This Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) sets out Nottingham City Council’s approach to student housing provision on sites allocated in the Local Plan and on unallocated “windfall” sites, it also:
-encourages the provision of purpose built and managed student accommodation in appropriate locations
-aims to improve the physical quality of accommodation for students
-restricts the provision of further student housing (where the City Council is able to exercise control) within areas of recognised over-concentration of students, where the creation and maintenance of balanced communities is threatened. (Go to Planning Document) |
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Do Purpose Built Developments lead to "Ghettoization? |
"..it is vital that strategies (e.g. the development of purpose-built student accommodation) which seek to reduce and / or halt (over)concentrations of student housing and student populations do not give rise to the ‘ghettoisation’ of students in gated-communities. Strategies which yield the growing segregation between students and established residential communities do not complement the underlying virtues of sustainable and balanced communities, and are likely to extinguish the many benefits which can accrue from social and community interactions between students and established residents. Indeed, it can be argued that some purpose-built developments of student accommodation have simply displaced the challenges of studentification from other studentified areas: although there are some good examples of purpose-built student accommodation which could be more usefully disseminated and shared."
(Source: "The Politics of Studentification and '(un)balanced' Urban Populations in the United Kingdom: an update" Dr.Darren P. Smith Nov 2007 ) |
On Campus Purpose Built Student Development
Percentage of student housing on campus
College TownLife (USA) has an excellent chart showing the On-Campus Availability of student housing in the USA.
Quinnipiac University, Hamden, CT,(USA) talks about concerns raised by residents and students that they may not be able to guarantee all students bed spaces on campus. (Go To Video)
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Tenant Occupied Housing; When does the Community become only a Business Proposition?" |
Student Housing Planning Initiative
City of London, Ontario, 2007 Can
A presentation that outlines the cities planning approach to balanced communities. It addresses the question "Tenant Occupied Housing; When does the Community become only a Business Proposition?" (Go To Presentation) |
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