IN THIS ISSUE

🎩 Why Canada sucks at student housing (and how to fix it)

👏 This edition of good news in housing

• Beige flag: City of Vancouver becoming a developer

• 39 story tower planned near Vancouver General Hospital

• Toronto supportive housing built in 17 days

🧩 More from Studenthaus

🗂 Rental resources

TOP STORY

🎓 Why Canada sucks at building student housing (and how to fix it)

Canada’s rental market is a disaster. Prices are sky-high, supply is in the gutter, and students? They’re stuck living at home, crammed into tiny, overpriced units, or enduring brutal commutes because there simply aren’t enough places to live. Student housing isn’t just a student problem — it affects everyone in the rental market.

Yet, student housing barely gets a mention in Canada’s National Housing Strategy. Billions are flowing into affordable housing, but nothing is earmarked for students, one of the most vulnerable groups in the housing crisis (our research shows more than 60% can’t afford their rent). The result? Students competing with families for rentals, driving up demand, and making an already dire situation even worse.

An actual change? Sort of…

For years, Canada acted like off-campus student housing wasn’t a thing. The Apartment Construction Loan Program (ACLP) — which helps developers build rentals — completely ignored student housing. That changed in January, when the government finally expanded ACLP eligibility to include Purpose-Built Student Accommodation (PBSA).

Sounds great, right? Wrong. It hasn’t led to much. Some provinces have also chipped in to fund on-campus student residences, but off-campus housing is still a regulatory black hole.

No one knows what off-campus student housing Is

The policy shift is a start, but no one can agree on what off-campus student housing actually means. Is it based on distance from campus? Should it be exclusively for students? Should it have different regulations? Canada hasn’t answered these basic questions, making it hard for builders to secure financing and approvals.

Without a clear definition, PBSA projects face inconsistent regulations, higher development costs, and a constant uphill battle for funding. And without clarity, policymakers can’t create targeted incentives to get student housing built.

Why student housing is the missing piece

Even if every post-secondary institution expanded on-campus housing tomorrow, there would still be a massive shortfall. Schools don’t have the land, money, or resources to house every student. That’s why off-campus PBSA is essential (read our piece from Jan 14) — not just for students, but to alleviate pressure on surrounding communities.

When students can’t find PBSA, they spill into already-tight rental markets in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, competing with families and professionals for the same limited supply. More PBSA means fewer students fighting for regular rentals, which helps everyone.

Beyond that, PBSA is a crucial missing link in Canada’s housing strategy. If students can’t live near their schools, they have two bad options: long commutes or bidding wars with other renters. Neither is sustainable.

What other countries get right

Canada’s student housing supply is embarrassingly low — just 12% of students have access to PBSA, while the U.S. and UK are sitting comfortably above 30%. Here's how others have done it:

• United States: Offers low-interest federal loans for PBSA and encourages public-private partnerships, making it easier for universities to expand housing without taking on huge debt.

• United Kingdom: Requires affordable PBSA options and integrates student housing into urban planning.

• Australia: Treats PBSA as critical infrastructure, giving it dedicated funding, fast-track approvals, and tax incentives to encourage development.

What Canada needs to do ASAP

1. Define Off-Campus PBSA: Create clear guidelines on location, design, and affordability so developers aren’t left guessing.

2. Expand Funding Beyond ACLP: A dedicated PBSA funding stream means student housing isn’t competing with traditional rental projects.

3. Fast-Track Approvals: Other countries expedite student housing approvals to meet demand. Canada needs to follow suit.

4. Incentivize Private Development: Tax breaks, density bonuses, and zoning flexibility could get more student housing built faster.

The Bottom Line

The ACLP expansion is better than nothing, but it’s barely a band-aid. Without clear definitions, dedicated funding, and real policy changes, Canada’s student housing crisis will spiral even further out of control.

If Canada is serious about fixing this, it’s time to treat off-campus PBSA like the U.S., UK, and Australia do — as essential infrastructure that deserves real investment.

👏 Good news in housing

🏳️ Beige flag: Vancouver becomes its own developer

The City of Vancouver is launching its own nonprofit development corporation to build market rental housing on city-owned land. The goal? Cut out red tape, control affordability, and actually get projects built. It’s an controversial move since it’s not only building affordable housing, but it could set a precedent for other cities if it works. Keep reading…

More housing coming near Vancouver General

A 39-storey rental tower is in the works at 1065 West 12th Avenue, bringing 392 new rental homes—including 78 below-market units—to a prime location near Vancouver General Hospital. It’s a much-needed density boost for a high-demand area. Keep reading…

Toronto builds new supportive housing in 17 days

Toronto, in partnership with CMHC, just opened a 26-unit supportive housing project at 1120 Ossington Avenue. This deeply affordable housing is designed for those experiencing or at risk of homelessness, and its velocity to completion is promising for future phases of the Rapid Housing Initiative. Keep reading…

🧩 More from Studenthaus

🗂 Rental resources

Whether it’s your first time living on your own or you’ve been renting for years, this is the time of year that lots of young people are considering their future housing plans.

Is your landlord illegally entering your unit, trying to change your agreement without your consent, or unreasonably preventing you from having overnight guests?

If so, and you can’t quite figure out how to word a message to your landlord, check out the list of template letters from BC’s Tenant Resource and Advisory Centre to help you out.

There’s even a template roommate agreement.

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