Amid Canada's housing crisis, the cap on international students will fail to address it and only comes at the cost of their education and futures
News flash: Canada is suffering from a housing crisis! What a surprise.
The lack of housing, and affordable housing at that, has been a chronic issue affecting off-campus students. In recent years, renting costs have dramatically increased..
Partly in response to the lack of affordable housing, the Canadian government implemented a two-year cap on the number of international students to be admitted into the country. They also implemented rules limiting these students from receiving work permits and buying homes in Canada.
Partly in response to the lack of affordable housing, the Canadian government implemented a two-year cap on the number of international students to be admitted into the country
According to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, the temporary cap would help to regulate the number of students in the country and reduce demand on the housing market.
Specifically, it limits the enrollment of international students to approximately 360,000 individuals, a 35% decrease from last year's statistics.
Each province or territory is receiving a cap that is proportional to their population. Each province and territory will receive a specified cap based on its population size and provinces are able to decide how they want to allocate their cap across their universities.
For example, Ontario is estimated to have a cap of 236,373 international students for this academic year, while Alberta will have a cap of 71,149 international students. Although these may seem like drastic differences, the amount of international students Ontario plans to admit is down 133,404 from last year while Alberta could experience an increase of 36,243 international students.
The international student cap will not solve the housing crisis because they are by no means the cause. More significantly, the cap will perpetuate unfair blame targeted towards these students, unrightfully holding them partly responsible for the state of the Canadian economy.
The idea that international students are a big contributor to the housing crisis is incorrect. Considering the deep and interconnected economic issues that have produced the current housing crisis, it should not be expected that cap will have any meaningful positive effect on the issue.
Unaffordable housing and rent costs, increasing inflation, the cost of building materials and difficulties within the labour market are some of the major contributors to the housing crisis. The slight contribution to our population that international students make is not the problem we face.
Considering the deep and interconnected economic issues that have produced the current housing crisis, it should not be expected that cap will have any meaningful positive effect on the issue . . . The slight contribution to our population that international students make is not the problem we face.
The government can take much more meaningful and needed action to combat the housing crisis, as well as the other crises we are facing that all contribute to the overall cost of living crisis.
Expanding initiatives and grants to build affordable social housing and implementing vacancy taxes on landlords who own vacant properties are just two examples of action the government could take to address the housing crisis at its roots. Creating programs that ensure grocery prices stay low and incentivizing businesses to pay a living wage are all steps that could be taken to address the current cost of living crisis.
Expanding initiatives and grants to build affordable social housing and implementing vacancy taxes on landlords who own vacant properties are just two examples of action the government could take to address the housing crisis at its roots.
By enacting the cap on international students, the government wrongly reinforces the idea that international students are the problem. Sadly, this could contribute to fostering contempt for and prejudice towards international students. Many citizens may feel resentment towards these students and create a negative environment for them to live in.
Although Justin Trudeau has stated that international students aren't the problem numerous times, the implementation of the cap contradicts this.
The cap can also prevent family members from being with each other. For example, a current international student may have a sibling who wants to attend university with them. However, because of the restriction, it may now be impossible for that international student to attend university with their sibling abroad. This can contribute to increase the isolation international students feel from being away from family.
Although the government has proposed many benefits to the cap on international students, it not only falsely blames international students for the housing crisis, it will also fail to provide any meaningful relief to the crisis. As such, the move by the federal government is a two-fold blunder that does not effectively serve its own citizens and reinforces a xenophobic narrative. Domestic and international students and Canadian citizens as a whole deserve much better from the government.
With the end of the school year approaching, and new leases being signed, here’s what you should remember as a student renting off-campus housing
The school year is coming to a close and many students are debating whether to continue their leases for their current rental, while others still on the hunt for off-campus housing. Student renters often face issues in their homes that they are unequipped to advocate for, such as unaddressed maintenance problems and rent raises.
McMaster University has various resources available for students to become familiar with student housing laws and their tenant rights. The Silhouette has summarized some of the most important points from these resources that student tenants should know renting this season.
Rent
Renting prices in Ontario have seen a steady incline in the last few years. If you’re re-signing with the same rental, it’s likely that your landlord has instated rent increases for the upcoming school year.
It is important to note that landlords in Ontario can legally raise the rent by only 2.5 per cent. This rule applies even if your landlord is including utilities onto your rent; if the total rent increase is greater than 2.5 per cent, it is illegal.
Your landlord cannot demand a specific method of payment of rent, such as post-dated cheques. However, once a method of payment is agreed upon, it cannot be changed without the consent of both the landlord and the tenant.
There is a current student renter aid program available through the Government of Canada, which grants low-income renters a tax-free $500 in rent relief. The due date for application has passed, but more opportunities such as this one may become available in the future.
Maintenance
With regards to maintenance, your landlord has a responsibility to keep the rental unit in good repair and in compliance with health, safety, housing and maintenance standards. The landlord is responsible for any repairs, even if you were aware of the need for these repairs prior to signing.
If a landlord has failed to address a maintenance problem, tenants are advised to file a tenant application for maintenance within one year of the issue persisting. Note that a tenant cannot legally withhold rent due to landlords not complying with maintenance standards.
Eviction
Lastly, it is important to remember that an eviction notice from the landlord does not necessarily mean you must comply and move out, specifically if you feel you’re being wrongly evicted.
Your landlord can only terminate tenancy under a specific set of guidelines and, further, the tenant does not have to move out when a landlord sends notice for eviction. If the tenant chooses not to move out, the Landlord and Tenant Board will decide during a hearing if the eviction should be enforced.
For more information about student housing tenant rights, visit the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic, as recommended by the university.
