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
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.