Students scramble for new housing as ‘luxury’ accommodation is reallocated to asylum seekers

Students scramble for new housing as ‘luxury’ accommodation is reallocated to asylum seekers

0:03 AM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago 27

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Around 170 university students in Huddersfield have found themselves in a desperate scramble to secure new accommodation after being abruptly evicted from what was once touted as ‘luxury’ housing.

The purpose-built student accommodation, which boasted a cinema room, gym and other student amenities, is reportedly being repurposed to house hundreds of asylum seekers.

The affected housing complex, known as HD1 student halls, is just a short stroll from the University of Huddersfield campus in West Yorkshire.

The student block, designed to accommodate 405 students, had been promoted as a haven of opulence, with rooms available for rent at prices up to £200 per week.

The 150 students, who had already committed to tenancy agreements and were gearing up for the academic year, now find themselves having to find somewhere else to live.

They have been refunded the cash they had handed over.

‘Building will not be opening to students in September’

The studio flats are managed by Prestige Student Living and a spokesperson said: “Hudd Student Management, the landlord for HD1, informed us that the building will not be opening to students in September.

“This decision is beyond the control of Prestige Student Living.

“Our team took immediate action to inform students and help them secure alternative accommodation in Huddersfield and return all payments made to us.

“We deeply sympathise with the students affected by the news and will do all we can to support them.

“Our agreement with the Hudd Student Management has terminated with immediate effect.”

The landlord declined to comment.

‘Genuinely shocked’ by the news’

Nick Hillman, the director of the Higher Education Policy Institute, added he was ‘genuinely shocked’ by the news.

He told the Daily Telegraph: “It’s one thing for the Home Office to block-book an empty hall of residence that is brand new or empty but to let students down like this just before term starts seems pretty outrageous – especially when Huddersfield was identified earlier this week as an amber risk in terms of a shortage of student beds.”

A Home Office spokesperson said: “We have always been upfront about the unprecedented pressure being put on our asylum system, brought about by a significant increase in dangerous and illegal journeys into the country.

“We continue to work across government and with local authorities to identify a range of accommodation options.

“The government remains committed to engaging with local authorities and key stakeholders as part of this process.”


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Comments

Beaver

12:19 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Ian Cognito at 01/09/2023 - 12:07
I don't think there's sufficient detail here for anybody to make any judgements about this. I suspect that the most relevant bit of missing detail is the contract between 'Prestige Student Living' (is this some kind of agent or tenant?) and 'Hudd Student Management'. If as the facts appear to suggest 'Prestige Student Living' had not managed to give the landlord 'Hudd Student Management' greater than 50% occupancy a couple of weeks off term-time then it may be that the problem is not the landlord but the agent or tenant.

Reluctant Landlord

12:23 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

if the HO is paying even the same £200 a week for these flats it sure beats probably the same price they are paying per DAY for a hotel in London, so yes cheaper for taxpayers (theoretically if you take the stance we are paying the bill anyway) BUT the impact is no longer it seems on just pushing back those complaining they are getting overlooked on existing housing lists....

Now pushing students out? I thought the explosion in posh lux student accommodation in all areas was that the companies are targeting cash rich Chinese students? The Uni's need the higher fees from these students..hence the accommodation appeal.
Asylum seekers in such numbers are going to cause local problems and I am not sure how tolerant locals will be especially when Huddersfield is not the most affluent of areas... time will tell as the asylum numbers aren't going down..

If these students are not coming to fill these rooms and they are let to asylum seekers instead then the Uni's income is going to be impacted too. Its only the housing provider that is going to benefit...

Beaver

13:54 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Reluctant Landlord at 01/09/2023 - 12:23
Well...under 50% capacity is under 50% capacity if those numbers are real. It seems to me most students need somewhere they are able to study, that is safe, and affordable on a student grant or loan. I'm not sure how great the demand would be for 'prestige' student living at the University of Huddersfield.

Perhaps both the developer and the landlord overestimated the demand for prestige student accommodation in Huddersfield. As I've no knowledge of the local housing situation in Huddersfield I would have no way of knowing for sure how others needing temporary accommodation will feel about it. But if they've got people in Huddersfield who've been in poorer accommodation than this for years whilst waiting for council properties you can predict a backlash.

NewYorkie

14:29 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

The students signed their contract and paid their deposit, so they must have been offered an inducement to void their contract. Otherwise, illegal to cancel.

I hear all the noise about the landlord potentially not filling the development, but that's the risk they take. Personally, I wouldn't build luxury any type of accommodation in Huddersfield.

Of course, the backlash will be against the Home Secretary, but she doesn't micro-manage asylum seeker housing. It's civil servants, and it's not a long stretch to think they are doing this to damage the government. We know their union is paying to mount legal cases to block removals, and we now know the previous head responsible for asylum seekers was anti-government and has just joined Amnesty.

Beaver

15:21 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by NewYorkie at 01/09/2023 - 14:29
It doesn't say the students had paid their deposit. It says they'd committed to their tenancy agreements, whatever that may mean. Too little detail to know.

But if this is correct:

"The student block......had been promoted as a haven of opulence.....prices up to £200 per week."

Then you can expect a back-lash from people who consider themselves to be disenfranchised or overlooked. And I'm guessing there'd be a fair number of them near Huddersfield.

Seething Landlord

16:27 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 01/09/2023 - 15:21
They said that they "had returned all payments made to us".

NewYorkie

16:34 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 01/09/2023 - 16:27
Which implies a contract had been entered into.

Beaver

16:41 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by Seething Landlord at 01/09/2023 - 16:27
The truth is we don't know who paid them, how much or when. There just isn't enough detail here to know what went on here. But I can't see any villains.

And it makes me wonder whether renting property to a desperate Home Office has become a more viable option for some landlords than their other alternatives. It's probably now more attractive than renting as a BTL landlord in Scotland under the SNP, possibly now more attractive than renting short-term lets in Edinburgh.

And let's face it...you shouldn't really fall foul of the Right to Rent rules should you?....if the Home Office doesn't know then who does? 🙂

H MD

16:42 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

£200 a week in Huddersfield, no wonder there were so few takers.
At least the asylum seekers will have a nice stay.

Beaver

16:44 PM, 1st September 2023, About 9 months ago

Reply to the comment left by H MD at 01/09/2023 - 16:42
I'm guessing much better than the average single mum in Huddersfield.

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