Colleges will be asked to help deliver 42,000 student beds

Universities and other third-level institutions will be urged to negotiate directly with private accommodation providers as part of the Government’s new student accommodation strategy

The 255-bedroom student accommodation complex on the site of the former Crow's Nest bar at Victoria Cross in Cork opened in 2023. Picture: Denis Minihane

Universities will be urged to negotiate directly with private accommodation providers to house students, as part of a new third-level housing strategy hoping to deliver 42,000 beds.

The Government’s Student Accommodation Strategy, set to be unveiled in mid-December, will target the delivery of 21,000 new-build private student beds between now and 2029.