In most university cities in the Netherlands, it’s very difficult to find student housing. Sometimes, students have no choice but to live in a tent or an expensive hotel room.

If you’re looking for a place to live in the city of Utrecht, there are several organisations you can turn to. In most cases, you have be at the top of a very long waiting list or be lucky enough to know someone who’ll tell you if there’s a room available. 

You can find more information about student housing on the Vidius website.

Sometimes students lose their home and end up on the streets. If you find yourself in that situation, you can contact Stadsteam Back Up Utrecht (website in Dutch). 

Stadsteam Back Up Utrecht (City Team Back Up Utrecht) helps people who are, or are about to be homeless with practical matters such as night shelter, day shelter, medical help, food, a correspondence address and finances. The support they provide is tailor-made and you’ll always have the same contact person. There is a separate team for young adults and students.

According to Statistics Netherlands (CBS), approximately 11 per cent of homeless people are women. Homeless women often struggle with different problems than men. Women in shelters tend to be young and they are more likely to suffer from mental health problems than men. More than half of these women have been abused or assaulted by their partner, ex-partner or a family member. Refugee women with a limited social network are especially vulnerable when they end up alone after divorce. One in three women say domestic violence is the reason they are homeless.