Overview

• Hamburg’s Studierendenwerk residences are fully occupied, with more than 2,000 applicants still waiting for a room in mid-September, and a 370-place complex in HafenCity is planned for completion by the end of next year.
• In Schleswig-Holstein the Studentenwerk can house only 5.8% of students, operating 23 dorms with 3,380 places while over 1,600 remain on waiting lists at the start of the winter term.
• Students report stopgap measures such as staying with friends or in youth hostels and long commutes, with AStA groups warning of mounting stress and some study dropouts.
• Housing costs strain budgets: the Moses Mendelssohn Institute puts average student housing in Hamburg at about €620 per month, a separate report cites €678 for WG rooms, and Studierendenwerk dorm rents range from roughly €310 to €480.
• Authorities cite funding and approvals but slow delivery: Schleswig-Holstein received €8.1 million in 2024 and €11 million in 2025 from the federal Junges Wohnen program plus state co-funding, about 300 units have been supported since 2023 with another 300 in applications, approvals ticked up to 3,626 Jan–Jul yet 32,000 approved units remain stuck in backlog due to high land and construction costs.