BERKELEY, CA – The Center for Studies in Higher Education (CSHE) today announced the release of a new paper in the Research and Occasional Paper Series (ROPS) that critically examines the escalating student housing crisis. The paper, titled "Crisis by Design," delves into how the proliferation of Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA) and the financialization of student housing are reshaping access and equity in higher education.
Authored by Dr. Shanshan Jiang-Brittan, the paper asserts that fast enrollment growths, coupled with insufficient corresponding investments in housing, has created a "crisis by design." This vacuum has been filled by the PBSA industry, offering private, often luxury, apartments near campuses, supported by global capital.
The research highlights a profound shift in the perception of college life, moving from the image of a frugal student in a modest dorm to a consumer surrounded by amenities like rooftop terraces and pools. This normalization of luxury off-campus PBSA reflects a deeper commodification of college studenthood, where student rents are structured to deliver returns to investors rather than to meet student needs or ensure affordability.
The findings underscore that to truly understand and address the affordability crisis in higher education, housing must be reframed as central—not peripheral—to educational equity.
The full paper is available for download here.