• 28/08/2025
  • Nederlands

TU/e raises alarm: growth at risk due to housing shortage

Every year, more students —mainly internationals— withdraw their enrollment because they cannot find a place to live. This year, the number has reached 500, according to a university spokesperson. That poses a serious challenge to TU/e’s growth ambitions.

by
photo Wesley Klop

The university estimates that 500 prospective students were “lost” this year due to the housing shortage, out of an expected intake of 3,000 to 3,500. TU/e bases this on its registration and withdrawal records. In a press release, the university states that this situation threatens its growth plans connected to Project Beethoven, which aims to train and retain more engineering talent in the Brainport region. Final enrollment numbers will be announced in October.

Patrick Groothuis, Vice President of the Executive Board, says in the press release: “As knowledge institutions, government, and industry, we have all committed ourselves to Beethoven. (…) But the sector needs enough engineers to make it work, and that is now under pressure. We are therefore urging all parties to accelerate new housing projects as much as possible.”

5,000 rooms needed

According to TU/e, 5,000 additional student rooms are required to resolve the current shortage. The university is not allowed to invest directly in student housing itself, but it has been working with municipalities and housing associations to speed up the development and construction process. Despite “good relations and commitment,” the university says this has yielded little progress in recent years.

The original housing target from this partnership was 3,410 new units. With the expected growth from Project Beethoven, that figure rose to 4,600 additional student homes by 2030 for the entire Brainport region. TU/e is now pushing that number even higher. The university is in talks with the municipality of Eindhoven, which is currently drafting a master plan for student housing.

Reporting platform

Recently, GroenLinks-PvdA launched a reporting platform for the housing crisis in Eindhoven and Tilburg. “Every student has the right to affordable housing. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. We hear many complaints from students about the private rental market,” says Eva de Bruijn on behalf of GroenLinks-PvdA Eindhoven in a press release. She urges students to report any abuses in the housing market.

This article was translated using AI-assisted tools and reviewed by an editor.

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