As housing costs rise and public concern grows, the government has announced new policies to help solve the housing crisis by capping the number of study permits for international students.
Starting in August 2023, Housing Minister Sean Fraser said the government considered setting a cap on international students to cope with the housing crisis.
Following this, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship) Minister Marc Miller announced a two-year cap on international student permits on January 22, 2024. Also in April 2024, a new restriction for international students on working hours started.
These policy changes focus on international students and seem to blame them for the housing crisis.
The logic behind this argument is that if there are many international students, there will be more demand for housing, causing a housing crisis. But how many students are there actually in the whole population?
The logic behind this argument is that if there are many international students, there will be more demand for housing, causing a housing crisis. But how many students are there actually in the whole population?
According to Maclean’s report, use Alberta, Canada’s fastest-growing province, as an example. The Alberta website says the population increased by 4.4% between January 1, 2023 and January 1, 2024.
This growth resulted from immigration, interprovincial migration, and non-permanent residents (NPRs). The 2023-to-2024-year, interprovincial migration added 55,107 people attracted by the lower cost of living compared to other parts of Canada.
Statistics Canada did not break down the migration numbers to say how many of these numbers were international students. And they did not respond to a request for clarification.
But, Alberta had 197,241 NPRs and only 23 per cent (46,538 people) were study permit holders, and 8 per cent (1,691 people) held both study and work permits.
If this percentage holds for last year’s migration numbers then international students comprise only a small group of Alberta's total newcomer population. This small group cannot be the primary driver of the housing crisis.
The Government of Canada issues all the study permits, meaning it already controls the number of people who can enter Canada legally. Blaming international students for the housing crisis overlooks the role of these policies. If the international student contributes to housing issues, it points to the flaws in policy planning, not a problem with the students themselves.
It’s also important to note that study permits cover a variety of student types, from primary school to post-secondary institutions. Some students live on campus or with family and do not compete in the housing market.
That means not every student visa represents a competitor for accommodation.
To address the housing crisis effectively, we must consider other factors contributing to the housing crisis. Not only population but also local policies, market conditions and so on.
The government sets both population and housing policies. If it plans to bring in many people, it has to expand the housing supply at the same time. The government must maintain a dynamic balance in housing and population.
Blaming international students for the housing crisis is not only unfair but also ignores the real issues behind it.