On Thursday, November 28th, NOVA University Lisbon unveiled Room 1/4, an innovative initiative aimed at addressing the housing crisis affecting university students in Portugal. The programme connects hosts with available rooms to students in need of affordable accommodation.
Starting today, interested individuals can visit the official website (www.redeumquarto.pt) to learn more and express their interest by filling out a form. A digital platform is set to launch in early 2025, allowing students to register and hosts to advertise their rooms.
In the ceremony that filled the rectory auditorium, Vice-Rector Isabel Nunes emphasised the project’s significance as part of the university’s civic and global mission. “NOVA could not remain indifferent to this reality. Student housing is essential to ensure equity and access in higher education. This project embodies the values of education, citizenship, and community living embraced by NOVA.”
Pro-Rector João Seixas, who heads the area of Socio-Territorial Innovation, highlighted the humanist and transformative nature of the project, which he sees as part of a new generation of social action policies and the right to education and the city. “In view of the profound changes we are facing, many of which are accompanied by great uncertainty and social pressure, as is the case with housing; the University’s responsibility in these areas is to combine the requirement of the right to education with the right to housing, if necessary through science and innovation itself, and in full collaboration with society and its institutions. Cities should be places of experimentation, promoting initiatives with potentially transformative effects. This type of project can be applied to other contexts and scales, promoting new cohesion capacities in the medium and long term.
Architect Rita Castel’Branco presented data illustrating the project’s urgency. Currently, students in Portugal spend an average of €500 per month on housing, with 50% lacking rental contracts. Additionally, 11% of students drop out of university after their first year due to financial difficulties. The Room 1/4 network also aims to combat loneliness among the 330,000 seniors living alone in Greater Lisbon, encouraging them to become hosts. In addition to receiving extra income, hosts may benefit from tax exemptions and social support.
The project is supported by Lisbon, Oeiras, and Cascais municipalities, Santa Casa da Misericórdia, Ageas Foundation, Santander Foundation, law firm Vieira de Almeida, and IKEA.
Would like to know more about the projet? Check the video!