Realtor fears influx in demand for affordable housing in Windsor-Essex
A new student residence is slated for the University of Windsor following a record number of student enrollments.
“We are going to be breaking ground a little bit later this spring for a new student residence here on campus,” said president Dr. Robert Gordon who admitted the school has contributed to strain in affordable housing.
“We need to be part of that solution here in the west end of Windsor but also throughout the entire region in terms of making sure there's sustainable affordable housing for all of our students.”
During his annual State of the University Address, Gordon said the school saw a record number of enrolled students last fall (15,950), 1,200 more than before the start of the pandemic.
International students and students from outside Essex County are competing in the same market as locals.
“Students are coming to town and they're paying top dollar for their rent if they can find a place that they're not having to share a room,” said realtor Joe Fallea.
With a vacancy rate of two per cent, Fallea says there is pent-up demand that needs to be satisfied.
“People aren't purchasing fast enough and we're not building fast enough,” he said.
Fallea says he has investors scouring the area for opportunities.
“They're looking at buying places to actually renovate to make them nicer to get those student rentals projects going to fulfil the demand,” he said.
He fears what may happen when the city's Residential Rental Licensing Pilot comes into effect later this year.
“There's gonna be another demand for student rentals because there's going to be a lot of them shut down because they're not legal,” Fallea said.
Ward 2 city councillor Fabio Costante says an effort will be made to ensure students aren’t forced to the curb.
“The first effort will be to try and come up with solutions where we're not disturbing tenant movement and we're not kicking people out on the street,” said Costante.
Under the two-year pilot project owners of rental properties with four or fewer units will need to secure a licence for each unit in Wards 1 and 2.
“We're obviously in a housing crisis at the moment,” said Costante. “But on the other hand, you want to make sure these renters and tenants are living in safe units that adhere to the building code and fire code.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.