UBC students say there isn’t enough on-campus housing

The fall school semester is starting next week, but some UBC Vancouver students say they’ve had a hard time finding housing, forcing them to live off campus and take transit to get to classes.

Many say there just isn’t enough on-campus space — an issue they would like to see addressed.

“I have to wait, I guess more than a year to get housing on campus at UBC,” Helen Zhao, a second-year UBC student, told CityNews.

Zhao had been living in residence but says the lack of available units forced her to move out. On Monday, she was packing her belongings and moving into her new home off campus, which she says took her over two months to find.

“I know a lot of people, a lot of friends around me, they are struggling to find a house near to UBC,” Zhao explained.

“On-campus is still more convenient for us students.”

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She isn’t the only one in this situation, with other students CityNews spoke with describing similar struggles.

They have a long waiting list. I know people who have waited two years to get housing,” said student Elyon Benson.

“If she gets housing at UBC, for me, I prefer that any day, any type down there, over living outside of campus,” added Benson’s dad, Izunwanne.

After a two-month search that included putting up a “rooms wanted” ad on Craigslist, Benson’s dad found a room in a basement for $1,200 a month. That unit is a 45-minute bus ride away from campus.

While she says she’s not looking forward to the commute, she doesn’t have a choice.

UBC plans to add thousands of units in next 15 years

“I know there is pressure, we understand that students and their parents are looking around and wondering where they can find a place to live and we are doing what we can to meet that demand,” explained Matthew Ramsay, director of University Affairs.

He says demand for on-campus housing has increased significantly, with the rising cost of housing in Vancouver and the scarcity of vacancies.

“Through the summer, we’ll see thousands on the waitlists,” Ramsay said, adding the Vancouver campus has about 13,000 residency beds, with plans to add around 4,800 more in the next 15 years.

“In the past 12 years, UBC has invested $670 million to build student residence spaces,” he said.

The Canadian Alliance of Student Associations has called on the federal government to spend $3.2 billion to build 15,000 residence units across the country within six years.

In a statement, the federal housing minister’s office says the government recently announced a nearly $500-million investment to create over 1,100 purpose-built rental homes in Vancouver, including for more units for students.

The statement goes on to say the government knows there’s more work to do.