Rooms of just 12 square metres, with a toilet, sink and shower all fitted into the same space. This is the foundation of the new student housing scheme announced by Interior Minister Konstantinos Ioannou, aimed at tackling the housing crisis affecting tens of thousands of students across Cyprus.
The ‘Student Accommodation Unit Construction Scheme’ provides for units with minimal floor area. For a one-bedroom unit, the kitchen will be 4 sqm and the living area 9 sqm, bringing the total to 25 sqm. As the number of bedrooms increases, so does the size — a ten-bedroom unit reaches 152 sqm in total.
The logic behind the small sizes is clear: smaller spaces mean lower rents. And the need is real — high rents have already driven some students to abandon their studies altogether.
The plan includes specific standards: one parking space per five rooms, a bicycle space per room, and a mandatory location within one kilometre of a recognised higher education institution. The dormitories can operate as part of mixed-use developments, and eligibility extends to students, postgraduates, doctoral candidates, Erasmus students, and academic staff.
The minister stressed that the need for housing solutions has become urgent due to the expansion of universities across all cities, the general rise in rental prices, and the over-concentration of students in certain areas. The goal is to integrate students into the broader social fabric while avoiding ghettoisation.
