| With a vacancy rate below one per cent, post-secondary students are some of the hardest hit by Calgary’s booming economy and bustling growth. According to Mount Royal College Students’ Association VP External, Adam Boechler, "the average student at Mount Royal is doing all right." In the last couple of years, Mount Royal has benefited from lots of development including a new student residence building. Close to 900 students can be accommodated on campus, although this year, unlike others, student residences are almost 100 per cent full.
Student housing at the University of Calgary reached full capacity a month before school started this year — something quite uncommon for the university. Residence Services is anticipating a continued housing shortage and is advising students to start signing up for accommodations right now for next year.
Boechler also worries that the boom will continue and if the college doesn’t get additional capacity by next year, students will feel the pinch. He feels strongly that the housing issue needs to get on the municipal and provincial agenda immediately.
Ian Ward, Students’ Association VP External for the Alberta College of Art and Design (ACAD) is speaking with student representatives from other local post-secondary institutions.
"Right now," he says, "we’re setting up something like a research coalition, gathering information about the problem." Ward is interested in collaborating with others to find out the broad student perspective on the issue. He may consider further action in the future including approaching government to amend legislation. He says it’s increasingly difficult for students to find affordable accommodations near school since ACAD is in a hot inner city location. He is concerned that with current legislation, students could be fully immersed in their studies only to face huge, unexpected rental increases.
In an effort to help scrambling students, ACAD Student Services and the Students’ Association teamed up two weeks prior to school starting and put out an appeal to alumni asking them to open up rooms for students. ACAD Students’ Association President, Lisa Benschop, reports that "the alumni response was strong and came to the rescue for students creating a silver lining in a big dark cloud." With the opportunity for students to live with alumni, a unique mentorship is happening. Both Benschop and Ward are very excited about how this experience can enrich the educational experience for students at ACAD.
Jessica Powess, SA President of SAIT says SAIT took a similar approach, encouraging staff and community members to open up their homes to students.
All institutions indicate they are doing their best to ensure student housing boards are kept up to date and are doing whatever they can to support students. So far, there aren’t any tent cities being erected at campuses in Calgary, but with housing costs expected to hold, action is needed to ensure students are able to access convenient and affordable housing. Otherwise, housing could become a barrier to attaining an education.
Local activist Grant Neufeld has starting the Housing Action Initiative (www.housingaction.ca) to explore long-term solutions to housing, tenants rights as well as the fundamental reasons and causes for the current housing crisis. This new group is also coming up with strategies including public meetings, public education and letter-writing campaigns in order to bring attention to this issue.
Online resources for student house hunters
www.cal.devry.ca/student/housing.html
An online listing of rental accommodations for Devry students.
www.homebase.ca
An online version of the Calgary Home Renters Guide searchable by rental cost, location, property type and preferences (pets). Some listings include photos.
www.homerent.ca
Directory of rental housing in Calgary searchable by rental cost, location, property type and preferences (smoking, pets, un/shared, un/furnished, wheelchair access). Many listings include photos.
www.lowcostrent.org
The Housing Registry Network (HRN) providing people at risk of becoming or remaining homeless the means to access a varied inventory of low cost rental housing and resources citywide.
www.och101.com
Student housing listings searchable by rental cost and property type.
www.renting.ca
An online version of Calgary Herald real estate rentals searchable by rental cost and property type.
www.rentingspaces.ca
Off-campus housing directory for SAIT students searchable by rental cost, location, property type and preferences (smoking, pets or un/shared).
www.rentfaster.ca
Online listing of rental housing in Calgary searchable by rental cost, location, property type and preferences (un/furnished). Many listings include photos.
www.samrc.com/jobs&housing/housinglist_or.htm
An online listing of rental accommodations for Mount Royal College students.
www.su.ucalgary.ca/ooch/listing.php
An online directory of rental housing for all Calgary students provided by the Students’ Union of the University of Calgary searchable by rental cost, location and property type. |
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