Many international students have difficulty finding accommodation. Avans University of Applied Sciences is therefore appealing to the hospitality of its staff and the people of Brabant. We ask anyone with the space to do so to take in an international student on a temporary basis, until they can find a place of their own. This will prevent unnecessary dropouts.
Jacomine Ravensbergen, vice-president of the Executive Board, already has two rooms ready in her own house. “It’s difficult for students to find a place to live at the best of times,” she says. “And this is especially true for international students. The need is huge. Every spare room helps.”
In this video Jacomine Ravensbergen shows her 2 available rooms. The video is in Dutch.
The Dutch housing market is in crisis, and student accommodation is no exception. The shortage is now so great that Avans is asking its staff and everyone living in the Breda, Den Bosch and Tilburg areas for help in temporarily housing an international student.
International Office
For more information and answers to any questions you may have, please contact the International Office at Avans: [email protected] /+31 (0)88 525 8001. As an exception, this office will also be open on the weekend of 25-26 September, between 09.00 and 17.00.
Avans has 64 unhoused students attending classes in Breda and 18 in Den Bosch. Some may have to drop out if they are unable to find a room in time. “That would be a terrible shame,” says Ravensbergen. “We hope that through this appeal we can help at least some of them find suitable accommodation.”
Welcome with open arms
Avans has looked at various alternatives in recent weeks. These included hotels, campsites, property guardianship and empty buildings, but none has provided a suitable solution. “In practice,” according to Ravensbergen, “making use of those alternatives often proves more complicated than it might seem. We are currently in talks in about this with local authorities, housing corporations and businesses. But it’s a complex issue.”
The vice-president hopes that her colleagues and the local community will follow her example. “These students are of great value to our region. Let’s welcome them with open arms. It would be fantastic if we can all pull together to help them.”