As Ottawa caps international students, people in Thunder Bay give other solutions for housing crisis
There are calls for a rental registry, Ontario regulations, more support from schools
International students at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay say a growing number of their peers are staying in short-term rentals because of the city's ongoing housing shortage — a situation the city, the university and the students themselves are working to change.
Soheil Khatibi landed in the northwestern Ontario city earlier this month to begin his master's in computer science at Lakehead University, with a special focus on robotics and artificial intelligence (AI). Coming from the city of Qazvin in Iran, he knew it would be hard to adjust to the cold temperatures, but didn't think finding a place to live would be so challenging.
"When I moved here, I actually faced the reality and it was far harder than what I was expecting," Khatibi said.
Before arriving, he was searching for rooms to rent through Kijiji, Rent Panda and Facebook Marketplace, but was warned of the dangers of online scams and was advised not to sign a lease until he could view the place in person.
Through Thunder Bay's growing Iranian community, he found an opening, but the room isn't available until Feb. 1. He spent more than $300 staying in an Airbnb for four nights before another international student, Mohit Dudeja, offered him a space in his basement in the meantime.
Ottawa caps international study permits
Early Monday morning, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced a two-year cap on the number of international students that will be permitted into the country as part of the federal government's strategy to address Canada's deepening housing crisis.
For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, a decrease of 35 per cent from 2023. The caps will differ between province and territory and be weighted by population.
Those pursuing master's and doctoral degrees, and elementary/secondary education are not included in the cap, the government says. Study permit renewals and current study permit holders will also not be affected.
"We are announcing additional measures to protect a system that has become so lucrative that it has opened a path for its abuse. Enough is enough. Through the decisive measures announced today, we are striking the right balance for Canada and ensuring the integrity of our immigration system while setting students up for the success they hope for," Miller said in a news release issued Monday.
Meanwhile, students like Dudeja say more needs to be done to ensure those already in Canada have the resources to succeed.
Students helping students
This fall, Dudeja first shared his story with CBC News about the poor living conditions and rental scams he faced when he moved from Delhi to Thunder Bay to complete his PhD. Last semester, he let a student stay in his lobby for a few days, but has since made a transitional unit in his basement.
"This is something that I was planning for so long because the winter semester was coming and the fall semester was terrible for a lot of students to find housing, so that's what I thought — that I would at least help one student," Dudeja said.
What we can't forget is the incredible value that international students bring to our own communities and to our institutions.- James Aldridge, Lakehead University, vice-provost international
He would like to see the city collaborate with Lakehead University and Confederation College to create a digital system where people can register to be validated as authentic property owners.
"That will not only have a detailed list of people who are offering their space to live, but also there will be less risk of fraud, which is also another problem," Dudeja said.
He also encourages others to open up temporary spaces in their homes for students in need.
Lakehead's housing strategy
There were just over 1,900 international students at Lakehead University this fall, representing about 21 per cent of the student population, said James Aldridge, vice-provost international.
"I think last fall was just about tied with our largest new intake ever for international students," he said. More than 400 new international students came for this fall, with roughly half that number starting in the winter semester.
This fall, the school saw lineups of students asking about affordable housing options off campus. There have been fewer students asking for help in finding accommodations this semester, though Aldridge said fewer students begin their studies in the winter.
There is still space in on-campus residences and the school plans to add additional rooms next year. It has also set up a working group to improve its housing strategy, Aldridge said.
While students aren't part of this group, he said staff have been talking with members of the Lakehead University Student Union who have been actively raising housing concerns, especially around students experiencing homelessness.
In the next few weeks, a survey will be released that will ask students more about the type of housing that would meet their needs, with questions around distance to campus, safety concerns, availability and price.
Before the international student caps were announced, Aldridge said he suspected they were coming, but his focus is promoting the benefits of internationalization at Canadian schools.
"The additional revenue that international student tuitions bring to universities and colleges across Canada is critical to their livelihood right now and has been for a couple of decades. But what we can't forget is the incredible value that international students bring to our own communities and to our institutions."
Tuition fees for universities vary depending on the program and school, but on average, they're around $36,100 per year for international undergraduate students and $21,100 per year for international graduate students, according to 2022 Statistics Canada figures. Data released the same year said full-time Canadian graduate students were set to pay, on average, $7,437, with undergrads at $6,834, for the 2022/2023 academic year.
Calls for provincial action
Khatibi considered on-campus housing, but said it's much cheaper to rent a room in a house or apartment in the city. He has heard other stories of international Thunder Bay students living in short-term rentals for extended periods, including someone at the Airbnb where he was staying.
"From the financial point of view, that is going to be a big problem," Khatibi said.
Thunder Bay Coun. Shelby Ch'ng has been lobbying the provincial government to create a regulatory framework around short-term rentals. Based on her research, about one-third of short-term rentals are downtown, which is typically where people find more affordable housing.
Another concern is how short-term rentals compete with hotels, but aren't required to pay full property tax "because they're taxed at a residential rate and not the hotel rate, which is three times the amount," she said.
While a number of municipalities have passed their own short-term rental bylaws, Ch'ng said the problem becomes enforcement.
She praised British Columbia's model, where legislation is being rolled out to help municipalities get a better handle on short-term rentals. The new rules are intended to create a minimum regulatory standard for housing available for rent for fewer than 90 days.
"It's not to villainize the short-term rental market — it's how we manage it so that those that can't afford it aren't left out in the cold," Ch'ng said.
CBC News reached out to Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Paul Calandra's office about efforts to manage short-term rentals, but did not receive a response by time of publication. The story will be updated if a response is received.
Lack of tenant protections
Thorben Wieditz is executive director of the Fairbnb Canada Network, a non-profit organization that supports short-term rental regulation efforts across the country, including B.C.'s legislation.
According to the organization, more long-term rentals are being posted on short-term rental platforms. Wieditz saId that puts people at risk because they're not protected under the Ontario Residential Tenancies Act, and the host could cancel their booking at any time.
Fairbnb has tracked an uptick of short-term rentals near colleges and universities, where upwards of a dozen students may be crammed into a single space that may not meet fire and building codes, said Wieditz.
He said that when he came to Canada as an international student over 20 years ago, he was able to find a legal apartment. But these days, "students are a lot more vulnerable."
"The international student situation is very complex and there are many levels of government that have a role to play, including the institutions that they actually attend in terms of providing student housing that is adequate and safe."
For a place like Thunder Bay, Wieditz said, the province plays an important role, whether that be setting up a provincial registry or offering additional support for bylaw enforcement.
As for Khatibi, he said he's excited to settle into his long-term accommodation soon and get to know the city — and try Tim Hortons for the first time.
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