While the number of students at Swiss universities has never been so high (
Press release
SFSO, 2022), university housing is no longer a sufficient option to accommodate new students. More and more of them have to find housing elsewhere around the university – more precisely 90% of them according to a study carried out by JLL (2021), which can be a very expensive alternative in Switzerland, especially for a population with limited income.

To overcome this financial barrier and develop new relationships, many students are turning to co-living (
Credit Suisse Study
2021): a modern form of housing in which small private apartments are combined with community spaces. As in the case of co-working, community becomes a key to social interaction. Co-living grew particularly rapidly during the pandemic, as young adults living in small apartments for several months realized the benefits of co-living not only socially, but also economically, academically, or professionally.

We therefore believe that there are investment opportunities in this under-exploited market with growing demand. More importantly, the growing desire of Gen Zers to live a more sustainable life begins with the very housing option they choose. Co-living units are generally composed of 2 to 4 bedrooms accompanied by a large kitchen and a spacious living area.

Therefore, the development of environmentally friendly living spaces seems to be the ideal way to meet the demands of today’s youth.