Belfast: Queen's students scrambling to find accommodation

Students were offered a cash incentive to give up their offer for accommodation

Queen's University (QUB) students are scrambling to find new accommodation after discovering they would no longer be getting a place in halls.

Many students had planned to move into university accommodation this weekend ahead of the term starting on Monday.

On Wednesday, QUB announced that students living within 40 miles of the campus would not be offered a room.

The university said it had "sought to resolve the issue by decreasing demand, through a financial incentive".

BBC News NI's Good Morning Ulster programme understands that it is not just local students who have not been offered places, and some international students are still waiting for accommodation.

Vivian Chow travelled to Belfast earlier this week with her husband and two-year-old son.

• QUB students within 40 miles unlikely to get room

• Students offered £1,500 not to take Queen's rooms

She is due to start her course on Monday and had hoped to get a family room in halls but once she arrived she was told that the rooms were full.

They moved into a hotel while trying to find accommodation but that led to other issues as she did not have a permanent address.

"Because we didn't have an address we couldn't apply for a bank card," she said.

"In the hotel we didn't have a kitchen so I couldn't cook suitable food for my kid.

"On the first night we arrived, my child got a fever and I didn't know where to go to buy medicine or where to take him to hospital.

"It's been very difficult for me and it's been very hard to do things without an address."

Ms Chow has since managed to find private rental accommodation for her family.

'Ruined' start

Aoife Devlin is from Moortown, outside Cookstown, more than 40 miles away from the university.

She is still hoping to get a room, but it will not be available until mid-October.

Ms Devlin was hoping to move into halls this weekend and had all her things bought for her room.

Aoife Devlin has had to rent a hotel room

She said the news has been very upsetting and has ruined the start of her university experience.

She has rented a room in a hotel for next week but doesn't have anything lined up after that.

"I'm worried about the location that I'm at. I don't know anyone in my area," Ms Devlin said.

"If I went out for a night I'm worried about getting back to the hotel on my own.

"I'm a country girl, I've no experience of the city life. I don't know what it's like at night.

"Even just the thought of those things really worry and I haven't had time to even think about freshers week or enjoy it."

In a statement, Queen's University Belfast said: "Due to unprecedented demand, the university's student accommodation is currently oversubscribed for the coming academic year.

"This is largely because Belfast is attracting a higher number of students who wish to live in the city and demand has been further heightened as a result of the pandemic.

"In particular, Queen's offered extensive support to students, and flexible terms and conditions during lockdowns which has resulted in more students wanting to live in university accommodation for the 2021-22 year.

"The university sought to resolve the issue by decreasing demand, through a financial incentive, and by increasing availability through securing rooms at Ulster University Jordanstown campus and other alternative venues across the city centre and Greater Belfast area."