The international student, who's in his fourth year of a political science degree, studied online during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 from Cuernavaca,Mexico. He moved to Calgary in fall 2021 and lived in a campus residence until he lost his spot in April.
Sanchez Diaz searched for a place to live off campus, which he said was stressful, and managed to find a small, shared apartment five minutes away from school with"pure luck." "They are seeing hour-and-a half, two-hour commutes, which makes it really difficult to work, let alone actually get to the classroom," said vice-president external Mateusz Salmassi.
"I was shocked, really, that someone would come to an organization like ours," said Sheri Lecker, executive director of Adsum for Women and Children."We're not the right people and we are also snowed under." Politicians promised concrete action on housing, but didn't put any specific new programs on the table.
"There's very limited access for students to find affordable and proximal housing off campus. So, that puts a huge demand on what we're providing for students."