He is also calling for a day of action next month as part of a campaign against what the report calls ‘socially regressive’ pricing strategies.
The Unaffordable University Accommodation report claims that average accommodation prices at the University of Sheffield have increased drastically since 2005.
It adds that rent levels are in many cases higher than charges at other universities, with Hurst looking to Leeds, Manchester, and Leicester for comparisons.
The document states that the average rent in self-catered accommodation let to students by Accommodation and Campus Services (ACS) in 2005 was £2,742.75, with the average price in catered halls being slightly higher at £3,392.68.
According to the report, the average cost of self-catered provision has risen by 44 per cent since then to £3,942.74, while the average rent payable is said to have risen by 61 per cent in catered halls.
The average cost in catered accommodation this year is listed as £5,458.47, though the figures in the report compiled by Hurst have factored in an extra £15 per week to the cost to cover the reduction in food allowance which took place in September 2007.
The figures are also not like for like comparisons as the 2005 average prices were calculated on the basis of a standard 31 week contract, whereas the average prices for 2008 are based on a 42 week contract length.
The Union President is calling for action amongst the student body to show dissatisfaction with what he calls an "untenable situation."
He plans to lead a demonstration on Wednesday, December 3, at 1.15pm to coincide with a meeting of the University Senate.
This comes ahead of the deadline for rent charges being decided upon for the next academic year, according to dates listed in the report.
Hurst said: "When it comes to the crunch time when prices are set in mid-December we need to have the momentum with us to show that students aren’t going to put up with this.
"It’s not just a home student undergraduate issue; even if you aren’t in University accommodation, it does affect you."
Hurst’s report compares the prices charged by ACS with those at the Universities of Leeds, Manchester, and Leicester.
Regarding Leeds, the document states that: ‘out of 30 types of accommodation and room configurations, all but one are cheaper than the price of the Endcliffe Village new build rents’.
In some cases catered accommodation in Sheffield is over £2,000 more, though many of the figures are not comparing like for like rooms and contract lengths.
Despite this, the report claims that: ‘Even rooms with 51 week contract[s at Leeds] are still over £500 cheaper than a standard room in the Endcliffe Village with a 42 week contract.’
The charges at the University of Leicester cited in the research provide similar results, with the report stating: ‘all of Leicester’s University Accommodation is cheaper than that of Sheffield University Accommodation.’
The report claims that students in catered halls at the University of Sheffield can in some cases pay up to £2,231.21 more than students at Leicester.
It is also argued that: ‘rooms [at Leicester] with a 51 week contract are cheaper by over £550 compared against the 42 weeks here’.
Charges at the six biggest halls of residence at the University of Manchester are ‘all cheaper than here’ according to the report, though the differences are smaller, with the most expensive accommodation provided by ACS costing £1,641 more.
Another key tenet of the report is student satisfaction with rent levels as defined by the Annual Student Satisfaction Survey (ASSS) 2008.
Hurst’s report cites the ‘decline’ in students feeling that they are getting value for money in University accommodation.
The survey results show that 39 per cent of students in catered accommodation are ‘satisfied’ that they are getting value for money, with this figure rising to 42 per cent of students in self-catered accommodation.
Hurst’s report points out that according to the survey results, students in private sector housing reported a 77 per cent satisfaction rate.
Only four per cent of students in privately let accommodation stated that they were ‘very dissatisfied’ with value for money, compared to 36 per cent of self-catered students and 40 per cent of students in catered accommodation.
According to Unaffordable University Accommodation, the ASSS also showed that students from within the European Union (EU) were ‘"almost three times more likely to choose accommodation based on cost than Home students.
‘"Also Non-EU students were four times more likely to choose accommodation based on cost than Home students."’
Hurst argues that this effectively means that high rent prices being charged by ACS are forcing international students into private accommodation and reducing the chances of integration between home and international students.
He said: "You’re talking about the ‘ghetto’ argument where you’ve got international students who are already pretty much forced out into private sector accommodation because of their already astronomical fees, yet you’re going to end up with people from lower socio-economic backgrounds just becoming ghettoised.
"So you’re not going to have that mix [of people] which I think is brilliant because it brings people from different classes together who might not see as much of each other and I think it’s a brilliant melting pot, in a clichéd way.
"With that being destroyed and people saying ‘I cannot afford it’ - it’s not even that it’s expensive, they cannot afford it - they’re going to have to live elsewhere.
"You’re going to end up with people from very well-off backgrounds living in this very nice accommodation, and people living in other accommodation which I’m not saying is poor quality, but they just can’t afford anything else."
Ian Jones, General Manager of Residential Services, said: "Accommodation and Campus Services is very disappointed to learn that the Union President is producing a document which is critical of University accommodation and its affordability, rather than having a constructive discussion with the University about his concerns.
"In fact, our benchmarking with outside providers and other Universities reassures us that we are providing real value to students.
"In addition, we listen and act on the feedback which we collect every year from students, making changes in light of this within the year that feedback is given as part of our genuine commitment to ongoing improvement in our service.
"We also consult with the Students’ Union as part of our annual rent setting, and did so during the period highlighted in this report.
"Without seeing the report it is very difficult for us to comment on the specific figures used, although it appears that some are not valid and are being taken out of context.
"However, we will carefully read the report when we receive a full copy of it, and will then make a detailed response which can be shared with Forge Press readers and other interested parties."
When Hurst was elected earlier this year he promised to take a stand against the University where he felt it was necessary, including by staging protests such as the one he is planning for December 3.
He said: "If we can maximise that student engagement then not only does it make the Union a stronger body but it makes the students’ voices heard.
"That’s the whole purpose of this Union; to demonstrate that and facilitate that. If we can win this then it means…when the University says that they’re going to do anything against students’ best interests and will affect them, whether that’s cuts in academic departments or cuts in resources, we’re strong, and they won’t even think about it in meetings."
Ciaran Jones
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