It’s that time of the year when thousands of post-secondary students make the big move into dorms ahead of the coming school year.“It’s my first day ever day . I’m from Windsor, Ontario,” Elizabeth Soulliere, an SFU student, said.Soulliere is one of the lucky ones, as the Alliance of BC Students said there are thousands who weren’t able to secure housing spots on campuses.
“The situation with student housing is awful for students. can’t find housing that is affordable and close to campuses for them,” Manpreet Kaur told Global News, Alliance of BC Students’ chair.“Many domestic students are choosing to live at home because that is the only option for them. “There are also many rental scams out there, especially for international students who are vulnerable, which means most of them end up living with five to six other students in a suite because that’s all they can find and afford.”
Kaur said in these cramped living situations, much of the time these international students do not sign a formal lease agreement which leaves them with no protections under the Residential Tenancy Act. She also said those who are forced to live off campus do not have the same access to student resources as those who do and might not get the same school community experience.At the University of British Columbia, more than 13,000 students are housed on the campus.“About 4,000 first-year students arrived last week and is the last of the groups to move in at about 3,500,” said Andrew Parr, UBC’s student housing and community services’ associate vice president.