Move-in day on AB campuses highlights housing demand, vulnerability of international students

As campuses hold some of their largest move-in days ever, the housing crisis and its impact on students–particularly international students–is under the spotlight. Sources report that the University of Calgary has experienced a significant increase in demand for on-campus housing, with over 700 students on the campus housing waitlist. states that the waitlist has been reduced to under 100 as some students find off-campus options. Nishat Chowdhury of reports that Edmonton postsecondary schools are welcoming record-breaking numbers of international students this year, but that international students are having more difficulty finding housing than their domestic counterparts. “They don’t have a family friend that they can move in [with]. They can’t move back in with their parents,” said Chris Beasley of the University of Alberta Students’ Union. “International students are […] the most visible victims of [the housing crisis].”