By expanding and improving provincial transit, Ontario could help students access affordable housing beyond campus limits and commute from home more easily
As Ontario’s housing crisis worsens, McMaster students are feeling the effects of skyrocketing rents and a lack of on-campus housing. Though it won't solve the housing crisis, reliable and fast public transit could mitigate the increasing demand for student housing by making commuting more feasible.
Transportation isn’t always considered when discussing solutions to the housing crisis, but it could play plays a crucial role for students. The ability to live in more affordable areas away from campus or with their parents depends on easy access to public both fast and reliable transit.
By improving and expanding services like GO Transit along with municipal transit such as the Hamilton Street Railway, Ontario could open up more affordable housing opportunities for students without forcing them to sacrifice convenience or accessibility. With better transit making longer commutes more feasible, students wouldn’t be as limited to a shrinking pool of expensive rentals near campus.
Currently, many McMaster students face a tough choice: either struggle with high rents on or near campus or commute long distances to find affordable housing. With transit that pails in comparison to that of many other countries in terms of both reliability and travel time, students either have to bite the bullet of paying high rent or make long and tiring commutes every day.
The lack of affordable housing close to McMaster is part of a larger trend. A report from the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations found that nearly half of all Canadian students struggle to find affordable housing. For McMaster students, this statistic is all too real.
Other cities have already begun to recognize the link between transportation and empowering housing. According to the University of British Columbia Alma Mater Society, in 2023, 33% of UBC students had commutes exceeding one hour.
The SkyTrain extension project to the University of British Columbia, currently under construction, aims to make getting to the university from far out in the city easier and faster. By linking the university directly to Vancouver’s rapid transit network, the extension could make more distant commutes easier and more feasible, increasing the options of where students can live and making commuting less difficult.
The benefits of expanding public transit go beyond just providing students with more affordable living options. Investing in transit infrastructure strengthens communities, fosters economic growth, and reduces traffic congestion.
For Hamilton, a more connected transit system would improve the quality of life for all residents, not just students. As Ontario plans for the future of its transit networks, the needs of students must be a part of the conversation.
Of course improving transit will not itself solve the housing crisis. At the end of the day, solving the housing crisis requires building more affordable housing. But as construction takes time, making commuting a more feasible and easy option for a great number of students now could reduce the student demand on the local housing market in the short term.
With the next HSR bus pass referendum expected in 2023, McMaster students have mixed feelings about the current contract
All full-time McMaster University students have access to an unlimited Hamilton Street Railway bus pass included in their yearly tuition. The HSR bus pass was implemented and maintained through a contract between McMaster University and the HSR.
The HSR contract is renegotiated and renewed every three years through a referendum, in which students vote on whether to continue to pay the mandatory HSR tuition fees. The next referendum is expected to occur in 2023. Current HSR bus pass costs are $232.94 for undergraduate students and $294.15 for graduate students.
The results of the graduate student 2017 HSR referendum were posted by the Graduate Students Association. 36.6 per cent of eligible voters voted in the referendum and 81.7 per cent of voters opted to renew the HSR bus pass contract.
The next referendum occurred in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to online schooling and postponed campus residence, the HSR bus pass deal was temporarily suspended. As remote schooling continued into the Fall 2020 semester, the bus pass fees for that term were reduced 75 per cent from the normal cost. Additionally, there was a temporary implementation of opt-in/opt-out options for the remainder of the term.
The bus pass fully resumed operations in the 2021 winter semester and has remained active since.
The HSR contract has been sustained throughout several referendums, reflecting how the majority of students continue to find the HSR contract beneficial.
Third year undergraduate student Kieran D’Sena spoke about his own frequent use of the bus pass and its importance to students who don’t live in the immediate vicinity of the McMaster campus.
“I frequently talk to [students] who live downtown and they rely on the bus to get to class. Having [the bus pass] included in the tuition makes the process so much simpler,” said D’Sena.
“I frequently talk to [students] who live downtown and they rely on the bus to get to class. Having [the bus pass] included in the tuition makes the process so much simpler.”
Kieran D'Sena, Third year undergraduate student
Third year undergraduate student Luca Scanga explained that although he does not require the HSR to get to campus, his bus pass is still an integral part of his routine and develop a greater relationship with Hamilton.
“Even though I live very close to campus, I need the HSR for grocery shopping, getting around to other people's houses in Westdale and Ainsley Wood, and getting downtown. If you don't have a car, which most students don't, it's great for getting around the city," said Scanga.
“Even though I live very close to campus, I need the HSR for grocery shopping, getting around to other people's houses in Westdale and Ainsley Wood, and getting downtown. If you don't have a car, which most students don't, it's great for getting around the city."
Luca Scanga, Third year undergraduate student
Other discussions brew among McMaster students, shedding light on alternative perspectives regarding the HSR bus pass. The r/McMaster subreddit hosts conversations from students expressing frustration with the mandatory bus pass tuition fees. Students do not currently have the option to selectively remove HSR fees from their tuition.
Regular adult HSR bus fare is $3.25. A student who requires the HSR to get on to campus may use their bus pass approximately 130 times during the fall and winter semesters, excluding holidays. With adult prices a student would be paying $409.50 in bus fares a year, which exceeds current HSR tuition fees.
This is an ongoing story.
C/O Travis Nguyen
Financial, distance and mental barriers exist in our return to in-person university
By: Ardena Bašić, Contributor
University life before COVID-19 feels like a distant dream. Never before have we associated campus life with daily MacChecks, proof of vaccination, social distancing and the infamous mute button on Zoom. Although there are aspects of in-person learning that both students and professors are yearning to get back to, there are also some that could be challenging and necessitate some changes in how higher learning operates.
For one, being on campus poses issues in terms of both accommodation and commute. Given that most leases start in the spring, when the winter semester is ending, many students did not have a chance to find accommodation well before McMaster University announced intentions for in-person learning for the fall 2021 and winter 2022 semesters.
Not only was this logistically difficult, but many students could also struggle in being able to fund full-year lease agreements. This is especially true given that the pandemic could shift at any time, rendering such accommodations as simply another setting for online learning. Although the university was cautious in waiting to announce what type of learning we could expect for this school year, it did not bode well for many considering the competitive and expensive nature of student housing.
Although the university was cautious in waiting to announce what type of learning we could expect for this school year, it did not bode well for many considering the competitive and expensive nature of student housing.
Ardena Bašić, Contributor
In terms of a commute, classes occurring in person means that it will likely be longer than the time and distance from one’s bed to their desk. Although some students are located in Hamilton, they will still have to keep track of the bussing system or find a parking space on or near campus. Again, while both these options are generally feasible, they may pose challenges in terms of time-management and funding for many.
Another difficulty that could arise involves the coping mechanisms students have developed to ease anxiety during these unprecedented times. Although many services are once again being offered on campus — such as athletic facilities and clubs that focus on well-being — some are still being left online or are hard to come by. The Pulse, for example, requires bookings and minimizes the time one can spend in a single visit.
Struggling to book a space during high demand means that some people who have relied on exercise for their mental health may be left out. Of course, there are online options, but many students are tired of such an approach and are eager for in-person activities again. These barriers make it daunting for students to be optimistic about a normal, on-campus life like the one many had before the COVID-19 pandemic.
These barriers make it daunting for students to be optimistic about a normal, on-campus life like the one many had before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ardena Bašić, Contributor
One more thing to consider is the stimulus shock that many students felt when coming back to campus for the first-time post pandemic. The sheer number of real-life people seemed intimidating after only seeing virtual faces for so long. Although students will likely acclimate to this after a period of time, it will only be exacerbated by the limited supply of coping mechanisms currently available. Although schools have to move gradually for everyone’s safety, it still comes with its caveats for students and anyone working on campus.
Given these logistical issues, educational institutions may have to work toward a revised version of on-campus learning rather than exactly what we had before. For example, giving students who rely on commuting or are struggling to find or pay for accommodations first choice during class scheduling. This will allow them to find the classes that work around their schedule and would be enhanced even further if classes continued to offer online completion options. Reductions in tuition for students who choose the latter should also be considered, since they would not be making as much of a use of campus facilities as those on campus.
Moreover, as it is safe to do so, schools should continue to expand their offerings and attempt to regain close to, if not exactly, as many programs as they had previously. Catering to the diverse range of student interests will ensure that there is something for everyone to relieve the stresses that come with being a student. In lieu of choosing whether programs should be fully online or fully in-person, live-streaming and recordings offer an alternative that would maximize accessibility.
In lieu of choosing whether programs should be fully online or fully in-person, live-streaming and recordings offer an alternative that would maximize accessibility.
Ardena Bašić, Contributor
Social acclimation will no doubt be the hardest step, as most of us have spent well over a year being limited in our contacts. However, as we increasingly get back to a new normal, we will be able to practice our flexibility and resiliency as humans to find comfort and appreciation in our environment again. Although the world around us is filled with uncertainty, the pandemic has taught us that we can definitely rely on our adaptability and constant yearning to change our surroundings for the better.
