Student housing survives pandemic and investment returns
Occupancy is rising, only lagging 2 to 3 percent behind 2019
September 10, 2021 | The Real Deal
The pandemic can’t keep student housing down. In fact, it may even be graduating to a new era as college students return to in-person classes across the country.
Property investors are spending billions of dollars on student housing while developing off-campus options for new and returning students. Developers are also adding perks to entice students, including gyms, video game rooms, fast Wi-Fi and swimming pools, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The volume of student housing deals surged from 2020, when some came before the pandemic. JLL reported $2.5 billion in deals in the first half of 2021, up from $1.7 billion the previous year. While that’s below the almost $3 billion spent in the first half of 2019, that may be only a matter of time.
