Housing corporation Nester has been designated as the intended developer of the student housing at Godsweerdersingel in Roermond. The building, the former tax office right next to the train and bus station, has been vacant for more than ten years and is owned by the municipality. TU/e previously announced that it was in talks with the municipality of Roermond regarding housing for its students.

“This is not ordinary room rental,” Nester director Harrie Oosterlee emphasizes. The plan is to create independent housing units of 25 to 50 square meters, each with its own kitchen, bathroom, and house number. “More than just a ‘standard’ student room.” According to Dirk Franssen, alderman in Roermond, it is even possible to create homes of 50 to 60 square meters, “given the layout of the building.”

Are TU/e students interested in housing in Roermond? A recent tour of the campus (see video), showed few enthusiastic reactions. But according to Alderman Franssen, his city is very attractive for TU/e students. “There is a historic city center, there are cafés, there is plenty of water sports on the Maasplassen, and of course there is a large outlet center,” he sums up.

Sittard-Geleen

The financial aspect is also important. “It will certainly be cheaper to rent something in Roermond than in a busy student city,” says Franssen. Moreover, with the tight housing market in Eindhoven, it is better for students to live in Roermond than in Sittard-Geleen, where student housing has been built in a former DSM office. “There are people who study in Tilburg and live in Geleen. Roermond is a better option, also for students from Eindhove.”

The target group Roermond is focusing on consists mainly of third- and fourth-year students, PhD and PDEng candidates. These are students who are expected to want to live in Roermond for more than one year and who can build connections with companies in the region, for example for research assignments. “There are excellent companies in Roermond, including in sustainability. Take SIF, which makes steel foundation piles for wind turbines worldwide,” says Alderman Franssen.

Foosball table

Nester is already involved in student housing as an investor. The corporation is co-owner of approximately 900 student housing units in The Hague and Delft. These are investment properties in which Nester has no further operational involvement.

In Roermond, Nester director Oosterlee wants to “create an environment in the building where meeting each other comes naturally.” Students should not immediately think there will be a bar. “There are already plenty of those in the area.” Oosterlee still has to work out the plans, but is thinking more along the lines of a pool table, a foosball table, or a meeting space.

Students and starters

In addition to students, the municipality and Nester also want to offer housing for local starters on the housing market. Franssen: “We have agreed that housing units will be made available for young people from Roermond who are going to study and are looking for housing.”

The idea is to create about one hundred homes in the building, but the exact number depends on the final size of the apartments. The distribution between student and starter housing also has to be determined and will depend on interest.

Forerunner

Clarity about the feasibility of the project should come before the summer. Oosterlee warns against overly high expectations. “We were only approached early March. There is still so much that needs to be done before we can start construction. The question really is whether 2027 is feasible.” The press release of March 16 spoke of an exploration of the collaboration, and that is exactly what it is, he emphasizes.

If the project succeeds, both Nester and the municipality see it as a forerunner. “If this is a success, we certainly want to look further,” says Oosterlee. “It would definitely be interesting to do more projects,” Franssen agrees. “The opportunities are there, because there is more suitable real estate for this in the municipality.”

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