It is an important theme that both the municipality of Eindhoven and the university are heavily involved in. Living in the city where you study adds a lot to someone’s student life. It gives students the opportunity to develop more socially. Think, for example, of friendships through educational institutions here, but also independence. Many students continue to demand additional student housing. During the last introduction, I spoke to a student who was living in Venlo because there was simply nowhere else available. Nationally, Eindhoven is identified as a city where it is very difficult to find a room. With an average waiting time of about five years, the situation in Eindhoven is dire. If you finally have housing after five years, you are done with your studies. 

With the predicted growth of the university, but also that of the city of Eindhoven, waiting is not the solution. Specifically, more living space for students will need to be made available to solve this. One of the big questions for the city remains where these homes should be located. Various people in the city council believe that the TU/e itself should free up land on the campus so that third parties like Vestide can build student housing there. After all, it is mainly our students who come to live here, and it is the TU/e that wants to expand. However, the municipality is also busy looking for housing options and occasionally issues new permits for vacant buildings. 

At the university, much is being sought outside the campus for places for student housing. There are two full-time employees who are involved in finding options for new student housing. The university also sits down with the municipality and other educational institutions to find various solutions. However, the university itself also believes that the remaining available land is important for possible other purposes in the future and that the municipality should take more responsibility for creating additional student housing. 

Opinions also differ among students themselves. Living in the city can have various advantages, such as a larger house, more freedom, and being closer to other facilities. Living on campus, on the other hand, offers the shortest travel time and a lot of flexibility between studying and being at home. 

To solve the housing problem, more will need to be built in the short term. The university, in collaboration with Vestide, has shown with the new towers that this can be done in a short time. But is there still space available on the campus for students, and do more students want to live on campus? Within the university council, this is a topic of conversation, but few decisions have been made. Therefore, it is important that students make their voices heard and discuss with members of the university council what they find important. Last year, I was chairman of the campus committee within the UR. However, my term is now over, so it is up to you to talk about this important topic. 

Would it be good if the university took the lead and released campus land for even more student housing? Not only will the campus become much more lively, and there will be more activity on weekends, but the university will also show that students are very welcome in Eindhoven and that it is good to live in the city where you study. Or should the municipality quickly show how much it cares about its students and free up space for a large number of additional student housing to attract more students to Eindhoven? We would love to hear it. 

Mart de Bruijn is a mechanical engineering student, and was a member of Groep-één in the University Council from September 2023 to August 2024. The views expressed in this column are his own.