Housing costs in Canada are making international students more vulnerable to exploitation, write York University Professor Tania Das Gupta and YorkU Assistant Professor Yvonne Su. International students are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, rent gouging, human rights abuses, and sexual harassment. Some landlords target new international students because they may be less likely to complain about their living conditions, explain Gupta and Su, and may include discriminatory preferences in their ads for individuals, offer sub-standard housing, and/or demand large upfront payments. The authors write that accommodation is an issue as rental prices increase and call for structural changes by governments and postsecondary institutions.
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