Students facing housing crisis across Canada: Editorial

Students across Canada are calling for urgent action to address the rental crunch as they face cramped living conditions, soaring rents, and a lack of options. CBC spoke to students who are being charged $650 or more for crowded and/or deteriorating housing. “There were no other options,” said student Alexandra Mussar, who searched six months for housing. “It was either that or I was couch surfing for the next year.” Economist Mike Moffatt explained that provincial funding cuts have pushed postsecondary institutions to increase enrolment substantially, and international students pose a particularly appealing market due to high tuition profit margins and a lack of study permits. “There’s no one silver bullet to fixing the housing crisis,” said Moffatt. “It’s a big, hairy complicated problem and it’s going to require a lot of co-ordination and working together.”