黑料福利网

Patience, the ability to connect people, spotting opportunities, handling setbacks, thinking strategically, and having stamina are all essential qualities for anyone in the role of student housing project manager at our university.

Gerke Kok, who has held this role at Campus & Facilities for over three years, embodies many of these traits. 鈥淧atience isn鈥檛 my strongest suit,鈥� he admits. 鈥淏ut I鈥檝e learned not to stress over things I can鈥檛 influence. As long as there鈥檚 progress, I put my time and energy into it.鈥�

5,400 ADDITIONAL STUDENT HOMES

Gerke Kok鈥檚 mission is to ensure that 5,400 new student homes are added in Eindhoven and the surrounding region over the coming years. 鈥淭hat number didn鈥檛 just appear randomly,鈥� Kok explains. 鈥淚t reflects the growth goals of the Beethoven program. To educate and keep talented students here, we need to make sure they have quality housing.鈥�

Recently, major progress has been made toward that goal. 黑料福利网, Fontys University of Applied Sciences, the municipality of Eindhoven, and student housing providers Vestide/Woonbedrijf and SSH have all signed a letter of intent, committing to making these 5,400 new student homes a reality.

STUDENT TOWERS NEAR OUR CAMPUS 

The parties have been exploring potential locations for student housing in the city. They are working on around fifteen projects, including the construction of two on Dorgelolaan. Together, these towers will provide homes for about a thousand students, with construction set to begin in 2028.

鈥淭hat will include about 500 studios and 500 shared apartments with communal kitchens and bathrooms,鈥� Kok says. He has pushed to ensure that at least half of the units are shared, with common spaces for students to use.

EINDHOVEN BASED LOCATIONS

Other student housing projects include the former VGZ building near the train station, which will offer around 130 units; the Fontys campus at De Rachelsmolen, with roughly 350 units; the site currently occupied by the M谩xima Medical Center, planned for about 500 units; Sectie C, with between 250 and 400 units; and De Caai, which will provide around 250 units.

It鈥檚 encouraging to see that all these conversations are finally turning into real action. We still have a long way to go, but it shows that it can be done.

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

At the same time, 黑料福利网 and the municipality of Eindhoven are working on developing 750 temporary homes at the De Hondsheuvels sports park. Plans are also looking beyond Eindhoven: together with the municipality of Roermond, we are exploring whether there is space for student housing near the train station.

For Kok, these are the moments that make it all worthwhile. 鈥淪ometimes it feels like you鈥檙e just talking and not seeing much happen,鈥� he says. 鈥淎nd then suddenly, everything falls into place. That gives you energy. I love seeing that all those conversations eventually lead to real progress. We still have a long way to go, but it shows that it can be done.鈥�

EINDHOVEN UNDER PRESSURE

鈥淭he Brainport region has the economic strength of the Randstad, along with all the challenges that come with it. The city is really being stretched,鈥� Kok explains. Finding a room in Eindhoven has also become a struggle. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a big challenge, and I feel the pressure, but it doesn鈥檛 keep me awake at night. I actually like knowing exactly what I鈥檓 working toward.鈥�

The university isn鈥檛 allowed to use its own funds for student housing, which means we鈥檙e always asking rather than building ourselves.

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

The key point in this story is that our university isn鈥檛 allowed to spend a single euro on delivering this huge task. Kok is often asked why the university doesn鈥檛 build student housing on campus itself to meet the massive demand. Kok explains, 鈥淭he funding we receive from the government is meant for education, research, and valorization. That means we鈥檙e not allowed to spend anything on student housing.鈥�

ACCELERATE WITHOUT FUNDING

鈥淚t鈥檚 my job to look at how we can accelerate the process of adding more student homes without investing our own money,鈥� Kok explains. The parties he sits down with for this include municipalities, housing corporations, developers, and property owners.

鈥淢unicipalities are very good at making policy, but putting that policy into practice turns out to be quite difficult,鈥� Kok says carefully. 鈥淚 try to get involved as early as possible when the city is planning large-scale developments. I look at whether student housing can be included from the start and how we can make it happen in practice.鈥�

鈥淚鈥檓 always looking for ways to make things possible. Sometimes that means bending the rules a little without breaking them. That鈥檚 why the municipality sometimes gets frustrated with me,鈥� he adds with a smile.

I鈥檓 always looking for ways to make things possible. Sometimes that means bending the rules a little without breaking them.

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

鈥淚 also spend a lot of time in the city, meeting with property owners and keeping track of what鈥檚 happening in the region,鈥� Kok says. He prefers working with locally rooted developers. 鈥淵ou can see that they look at the city鈥檚 development differently. It鈥檚 not just about making money for them, but also about what the city truly needs.鈥�

MUTUAL DEPENDENCE

鈥淭he municipality and we rely on each other; there鈥檚 a clear mutual dependence. Building a strong relationship is therefore key to successful collaboration.鈥� Over the past few years, that relationship has grown stronger, Kok adds.

鈥淓ven though the university can鈥檛 contribute money or space, I鈥檝e found that we鈥檙e still a welcome presence at the table. That鈥檚 a very positive sign.鈥�

Even though the university can鈥檛 contribute money or space, I鈥檝e found that we鈥檙e still a welcome presence at the table. 

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

Last December, the municipality of Eindhoven also brought in a student housing project manager. 鈥淭hat doesn鈥檛 solve everything overnight, but it鈥檚 a positive step that shows the municipality is taking this issue seriously. Fontys is also in the process of hiring a student housing project manager,鈥� Kok adds.

LETTER OF INTENT

The commitment of all parties to the student housing challenge is also clear from the recently signed letter of intent to deliver 5,400 new student homes in Eindhoven over the next eight years.

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION

The biggest challenge is finding suitable sites for student housing. 鈥淓indhoven faces a major densification challenge due to growth. It鈥檚 not just more student housing that鈥檚 needed, but also schools, sports facilities, healthcare, and regular housing. There are so many stakeholders competing for limited space. And when you do find a site, there are often multiple parties interested in it,鈥� Kok explains.

Kok notes that our campus is frequently suggested as a location for additional student housing. In 2024, the Haven student complex opened on campus. This development, with nearly 800 student homes, is managed by Vestide, a student housing provider part of Woonbedrijf. 鈥淲e鈥檙e very pleased with how we were able to realize this complex in collaboration with Vestide.鈥�

In addition, there are student rooms in Luna and Aurora on campus. The studios in Luna are rented out by Plaza, part of Mosaic World, while the rooms in Aurora are managed by Vestide, the student housing branch of Woonbedrijf.

鈥淚n total, we have about 1,500 student homes on campus, which is more than ten percent of our student population, and that鈥檚 enough,鈥� Kok says.

鈥淲e鈥檙e a green campus, with the Dommel river winding through it, acting as a green lung for the city. We want to keep it that way, and the municipality agrees,鈥� he adds.

鈥淥n top of that,鈥� Kok continues, 鈥渨e can鈥檛 just build anywhere on campus. There are many complex lab buildings where vibration-sensitive research takes place. You simply can鈥檛 build nearby.鈥�

Our campus functions as the green lung of Eindhoven. We want to keep it that way, and so does the municipality.鈥�

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

BLOWING OFF STEAM

Kok is juggling many projects at the same time, yet much of his work isn鈥檛 immediately visible. 鈥淧art of my role is to work under the radar. I currently have a lot on my plate. Ten projects are already very concrete, and for around twenty others, we鈥檙e seriously exploring the possibilities for student housing.鈥�

What those projects actually are, he prefers not to say. 鈥淢any of these processes are confidential, and we want to coordinate everything with owners and local residents first before sharing anything about potential projects. It鈥檚 simply the right thing to do.鈥�

Not every project pans out, which can be frustrating, but I always have several other initiatives going at the same time.

Student housing project manager Gerke Kok

Plans often hit snags, Kok has found. 鈥淚鈥檝e had several cases where we were close to the finish line, only for them not to go ahead in the end. That鈥檚 part of the game in real estate development. Not every idea you take on will succeed, and that can be frustrating,鈥� he says. 鈥淪ometimes a property owner will call me, and we鈥檒l grab a beer together to blow off steam. That鈥檚 part of the process, too.鈥�

WELLBEING COMES FIRST

According to Kok, student housing isn鈥檛 just about buildings; it鈥檚 about people. 鈥淭he wellbeing of our students is key. We want to provide them with a place to live when they come here. Not temporary, not uncertain.鈥�

That鈥檚 why 黑料福利网 arranges for students to have a campus contract with landlords. 鈥淭his allows students to stay in their room for as long as they鈥檙e studying. Other universities use one-year contracts, but you can see that this comes at the expense of wellbeing and academic performance. If you鈥檙e constantly stressed about where you鈥檒l live next year, you can鈥檛 really thrive.鈥�

PhD candidates are very much part of the target group when it comes to creating more housing, Kok says. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e often at the lower end of the housing market. We鈥檙e actively looking for places for PhD candidates, including outside Eindhoven. We take an international perspective on distance. For international students, cities like Helmond or Roermond are very close to campus. Good accessibility is an important criterion.鈥�

DILEMMA

A recurring dilemma is the type of housing. 鈥淭he market prefers to build studios because they bring in the most revenue and have the highest investment value. But socially, they can create issues. Without proper shared social spaces, the risk of isolation is huge.鈥�

Shared housing, with communal facilities, is shown by research to be better for student wellbeing. 鈥淲e aim for at least fifty percent shared housing. In the Haven towers, half of the units are private and the other half shared. There, we were able to set the rules ourselves.鈥�

鈥淏ut it鈥檚 almost impossible to have this developed by a commercial party because it鈥檚 not profitable. Even for housing corporations, it鈥檚 barely viable. And then there鈥檚 the odd effect that studios can sometimes be cheaper than student rooms due to rent subsidies.鈥�

STUDIO OR SHARED LIVING

Finding the balance is always a challenge. 鈥淲hat do students want for themselves? Many international students ask for their own space. At the same time, we see that shared living really helps with integration and wellbeing. That tension exists in almost every project.鈥�

THE ONLY SOLUTION IS TO KEEP PUSHING, AND THAT鈥橲 EXACTLY WHAT WE鈥橰E GOING TO DO.

Gerke Kok, student housing project manager

鈥淲e鈥檙e now truly on the municipality鈥檚 radar and are invited to actively contribute ideas. That鈥檚 not just my achievement, but the result of a group of colleagues at our university working incredibly hard on this.鈥�

Kok remains positive and doesn鈥檛 let the challenges of his role discourage him. 鈥淭he only solution is to keep pushing so we can provide our future students with a comfortable place to live during their studies at our university, and that鈥檚 exactly what we鈥檙e going to do.鈥�