Following a series of strategic steps, The Class Foundation successfully formulated a UK National Action Framework with 47 stakeholders, such as Yugo, Homes for Students, Maslow Capital, Scape, HEPI, Student Castle, Luna, Greystar, Osborne Clarke, JLL, Savills, Student Crowd, UCAS, University of Bristol, LSE, British Property Federation, HE Guide to name a few.
To build on this momentum, the Student Living Forum UK will convene in London, bringing together public and private sector leaders to assess the state of student living and align on the actions required to secure the sector’s future.
About the Event
The UK remains one of the world’s leading destinations for higher education. In 2023/24, more than 2.9 million students were enrolled at UK higher education providers, with international students accounting for over half of all postgraduate enrolments. This sustained demand underpins the sector’s global relevance and its importance to local economies and cities.
However, the student housing system is under growing strain. By 2030, annual university applicants are projected to exceed 900,000, while delivery of new student accommodation has slowed dramatically to fewer than 10,000 beds per year, down from more than 30,000 annually before the pandemic. Even allowing for demographic fluctuations, the UK faces a projected core shortfall of around 190,000 student beds by the end of the decade.
Affordability has become a defining challenge. Students report widespread anxiety around rent and increasing difficulty meeting housing costs. These pressures are compounded by rising construction and financing costs, constrained access to well-located land, increasingly complex regulation, and the growing risk of obsolescence across ageing housing stock.
Recent policy changes, including the forthcoming Renters’ Rights Act (2025), add further urgency, with the potential to reshape supply dynamics across both the private rented sector and PBSA. At the same time, UK’s re-association with Erasmus+ is expected to influence demand patterns in key university cities. Together, these aspects heighten the need for coordinated action across housing, higher education, and government to ensure supply, affordability, and student experience keep pace with change.
Smart Living Community Awards
This year, we are introducing the Smart Living Community Awards for the first time, recognising collaboration, leadership, and demonstrable ESG impact across the student living ecosystem.
The awards span four categories: Smart Cross-Sector Collaboration, Smart Sustainability Initiatives, Smart Social Impact Initiatives, and Smart Leader of the Year.
The programme will conclude with the Smart Living Celebration, featuring live presentations from shortlisted nominees and a real-time voting process with participation from investors and operators, who will select the initiatives that best demonstrate meaningful impact and sector leadership.
Interested in taking part and being recognised by industry leaders at the event? Apply via the link below.
Sponsors.
Platinum Sponsor
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Laura Wollard
,
Lavanda
Jaime Caruncho
,
Micampus Residencias
Emily Sims
,
Yugo
Henri Vuong
,
INREV
Brian Welsh
,
Nido
Jacob Chai
,
Common
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