Welcoming Campus, Inclusive Community: Building Housing Infrastructure for International Students [OPPI Planning Exchange Blog]

On January 22, 2024, the federal government announced a two-year cap on international student permits. This action aims to target certain “bad actors” among institutions, who have been exploiting international students through high tuition fees, fake educational degrees, and poor operations. However, another major concern this measure aims to address is the impact of a surge of international students on the housing market, which has triggered heightened public concerns and policy debates, while drawing considerable attention in international media.The rationale is that the housing shortage across Canada was exacerbated by the unprecedented record-high admission of over one million international students in 2023, which drove up housing costs and worsened the already limited housing supply.