Canada is running out of housing for its university and college students

Education – Study Abroad

By Pooben Narayanen

Canada is the second largest country in the world; however, it is facing a very serious housing crisis. Whilst there’s enough space there aren’t enough houses being built to meet demand. Most of the country’s population is concentrated in the major urban centres such as Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver, Calgary, etc. These are the economic centres of the country and home to many leading universities and post-secondary colleges.

Universities and colleges want to enrol more students. But where are they supposed to live? Pic – The Conversation

They are also magnets for Canadians looking for work and to study at their country’s tertiary education institutions; the same applies to the hundreds of thousands of immigrants and foreign students that the country takes in every year. The result has been more demand for homes to buy and rent than can be supplied. This shortage means prices continue to increase to the point where they are unaffordable for most people.

In Toronto, which is home to the University of Toronto, York University, Toronto Metropolitan University and other colleges, a shared room is going for 1000 Canadian dollars a month, approximately 33,000 Mauritian rupees. Shared means that the kitchen and bathroom will be shared. In a smaller city such as Winnipeg, Manitoba, rents near the universities are around half that of Toronto for a student. Attractive as that may be, the city is further away from Mauritius and there are additional travel costs that must be taken into consideration.

The rising costs and low supply have led to some foreign students finding themselves homeless, as was the case for a student from India studying at a college in Kitchener, Ontario, who had the unfortunate experience of living under a bridge for four days until he was rescued by fellow students. In Quebec, students from West Africa who were accepted at the University of Quebec in Trois Rivieres found themselves living in motels and Airbnbs as there was no accommodation for them. Some of the students decided to move to other Francophone countries for their studies.

The solutions seem to be few and far between, and priority is given to Canadians. The universities and colleges which are experiencing a major influx of income from foreign students are trying to find a solution. Meanwhile, classes have started across Canada, but the situation remains unchanged. The government is considering whether it needs to cap the number of international students being allowed in the country. In 2022, the country took in 800,000 plus students, a 33% increase from the previous year. This year it is projected to hit the 900,000 plus mark. Immigration has also increased and the resulting sudden increase in population has put pressure on the housing market and the healthcare system.

If you are planning on studying in Canada, there are couple of things to bear in mind. 

* Your budget must take into consideration the cost of living, especially rent. If you choose and are accepted for on campus and other university run accommodation, be prepared to pay much more than living off campus.
* You must be prepared to share accommodation and living space with other people. You may have to wait a long time before you find your ideal place, this could mean living in a motel (a cheaper version of a hotel), Airbnb and hotel. Which means eating out and doing your laundry in coin machines, driving up your budget.
* You may have to rent far from your school, this means longer commute times. Depending on the city you may benefit from cheaper fare for students, which helps. If you are working part-time you may have to move around a lot. You could invest in a car, but the associated costs may not be worth it.
* You must do your research before you head out to your school. Once you have been admitted your school will give you your student number and you will be able to access the school’s message boards. * If you are not planning on living in university accommodation, start looking for a place even before you leave. There’s plenty of news articles and pieces that are available online which can allow you to make an informed decision and do not hesitate to get in touch with your school, they will be more than happy to help.

Studying in Canada for those who can afford it is a great opportunity and privilege, but to be able to do so, you need a place to live.

Pooben Narayanen has a BA in economics and a BA with honours in Political Science from McMaster University, Hamilton, Canada. As he teaches part-time at the University of Mauritius, he has an active in interest in tertiary education and career paths for Mauritians in a rapidly changing world.

Mauritius Times ePaper Friday 6 October 2023