Italy is quickly becoming one of Europe’s fastest-growing study destinations, thanks to an intensified national push to internationalise its higher education system. Since 2016, there has been a nearly 50% increase in foreign student enrolments, going from 98,015 to 148,016 students enrolled (Uni-Italia, 2023).
By The Class Foundation
But this growth now faces a serious challenge. The number of foreign students is expected to keep rising by 68% by 2028 (JLL, 2024), and the shortage of student housing supply in Italy threatens to undermine this process.
Research presented at The Class Conference 2024 shows that the country faces a projected shortfall of up to 225,000 student rooms by 2030. To close this gap, around 45,000 new beds would need to be created each year.
A unified plan for Italy’s student housing future
Potential solutions have emerged such as the collaboration between Cassa Depositi e Prestiti (CDP) and the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR) which proposes a €1.2bn investment to increase availability of beds, and the PNRR (National Recovery and Resilience Plan), which allocates about €960m to finance the construction of new PBSA, aiming to increase student housing capacity from 64,000 to 120,000 beds by 2026.
While initiatives like the PNRR and CDP investments demonstrate a step forward for student housing, current developments will not be enough to cover the estimated demand by 2030.
The country still urgently requires a coordinated strategy that brings together the higher education sector, private student housing investors and operators, and policymakers to establish clear, actionable objectives for the next ten years.
Recognising this urgency, The Class Foundation and its partner community have been developing the National Action Framework (NAF) initiative, with Italy identified as one of its key implementation markets.
In essence, the national action framework aims to work with the student housing sector to ensure the following three resources for growth:
- Appoint a National Student Housing Coordinator.
- Develop a National Housing Monitor.
- Create and endorse clear, actionable targets.
The framework also provides the basis for policy development across The Class Foundation’s four key pillars of student living: Availability, Accessibility, Student Experience, and Collaboration.
This National Action Framework, along with other critical discussions to Italy’s student housing challenges, will be the focus of an upcoming forum hosted by The Class in Milan on 12 June. The strategic forum will convene senior leaders from real estate, higher education, and public policy sectors to align on the outlined goals.
Participants of the forum will use the groundwork laid out to examine how to implement these proposals across public, private and academic spheres.
The Class is inviting all major stakeholders and those invested in Italy’s student living sector to participate in this forum and help shape its future. For details on and tickets for this forum on the 12 June, visit here.
About The Class Foundation
The Class Foundation, established in 2011, is as a partner-based non-profit organisation dedicated to advancing student housing across Europe.
Together with our industry leading ecosystem of over 100 partners, our mission as strategists is to improve student living through our four core pillars:
- Availability: Expanding the supply of housing stock to meet the growing demand.
- Accessibility: Ensuring accessible and affordable accommodation.
- Experience: Enhancing student and community experience.
- Collaboration: Leading a collective agenda across sectors and public-private stakeholders.
By connecting operators, investors, policymakers, universities, tech leaders, and student organisations, we lead a community and platform where leaders come together to shape a better future for student living in Europe.
For any questions regarding The Class Foundation or the upcoming forum on the 12 June, reach out to the team at info@theclassfoundation.com.
