The University of Sydney has pledged to increase its student housing offering by a third to improve access for financially disadvantaged school leavers. Its students face astronomical prices for privately run student accommodation, with market leader Scape charging $819 per week for an 18-square-metre studio in nearby Redfern. Deputy vice chancellor Annamarie Jagose said plans were underway for an additional “2000+ affordable student beds within the next five years, supporting access and equity for future cohorts” in response to budget estimates questions last week. Under the plan, the university will increase the provision of student accommodation beds by 2000. Credit: Louise KennerleyThe plan comes against a backdrop of a housing crisis for which foreign students are often blamed, and recent decisions to shut down or sell existing property.