Canada’s student housing crisis continues despite the government’s introduction of a cap on study permits to limit the number of incoming international students.
The cap on study permits was announced in late January 2024 and was motivated partly by a desire to implement a number of quality measures aimed at preventing the exploitation of international students. The cap is also seen by many as being critical to ease pressure on the rental market, where it is claimed that students are “squeezing” low-income families out of the market.
However, according to a University Affairs report, in spite of the cap on study permits, the new academic year saw many Canadian universities unable to accommodate all of their students in on-campus residences, leading to long waitlists and forcing students to seek off-campus housing. In Alberta, for example, 3,000 residence places are available to University of Calgary students, yet up to 1,000 students have been waitlisted for the past two years. However, the problem is widespread, and not limited to Alberta alone. BONARD estimates that 400,000 additional beds are required nationwide to meet demand.
BONARD Director Julia Oravec told The PIE News that the cap on the number of study permits that can be issued in each province won’t solve the long-term housing shortage and that more purpose-built student housing is the key to solving the crisis. Oravec pointed out that Canada lags behind countries like the United Kingdom, Germany, and France in terms of its housing provision rate. The UK, for example, has almost double Canada’s 19% net provision rate (student-to-bed ratio).
Canadian universities are working with provincial and municipal governments and private developers to increase the supply of off-campus housing. In Kingston, Ontario, for example, the municipal government has supported the construction of off-campus student accommodation near Queen’s University, with three new buildings providing a total of 1,100 apartments completed in 2023.
However, Canada’s student housing crisis is not simply due to an under-supply of PBSA; affordability is increasingly a critical issue for many students. A survey by the Student Housing Initiative found that 62% of students in Canada said their rent is unaffordable. Students are experiencing higher levels of stress, with many struggling to afford both rent and food, leading to compromised safety and long commutes. Charities have also reported a significant increase in requests from international students for help with food, clothing and accommodation.
A recent project undertaken by a team of researchers from the University of Waterloo confirms the vulnerable position of Canada’s international students, finding that in addition to navigating the challenges around finding affordable housing, international students are vulnerable to illegal practices, rental scams, improper fees and discrimination in the rental market.
