Hundreds of new student homes on Brainpark and near Rotterdam Alexander

The municipality of Rotterdam will build over five hundred additional homes, with most of them intended for students. They will be located on Brainpark next to the campus and on Hoofdweg in the Prins Alexander district.

On Brainpark 1, an outdated office building on Max Euwelaan is making way for a building with 348 homes. It is not yet clear exactly how many student homes there will be. On Hoofdweg, near Rotterdam Alexander station, the municipality will build 286 student homes, with facilities such as a communal living room, a launderette and a courtyard.

For Rotterdam students

The student homes will be available to all students in senior secondary vocational, higher professional or university education in Rotterdam. International students and students with disabilities will also be welcome. According to a spokesperson for the municipality, DUWO is the intended landlord of the student homes in Prins Alexander. The landlord of the student homes on Brainpark is not yet known.

Completion

Construction of the student homes on Brainpark will start in late 2025. “The construction project is likely to take two-and-a-half to three years”, according to the spokesperson. As for the construction and completion of the student homes in Prins Alexander, the developer declined to comment.

Vibrancy

The municipality chose these locations because they are close to Erasmus University Rotterdam and public transport facilities. “Student homes bring vibrancy to the neighbourhood. By building these student homes, we hope to turn these neighbourhoods into areas for both living and working”, the spokesperson said.

There is a huge shortage of student homes in Rotterdam. According to the 2023 National Student Housing Monitor, the waiting time for a room is 16 months on average, up from 10 months in 2018. On average, Rotterdam students pay the highest rent in the Netherlands.