Humber tackles student housing with increased residence capacity

The expansion of Humber’s Lakeshore student residency of 336 beds shows the college’s dedication to easing the housing crisis, Humber’s communication director says.

“Humber is committed to helping to address the housing crisis in the province and planned to have the new residence open this fall as part of the new Humber Cultural Hub at the Lakeshore Campus,” Emily Milic said in an email statement.

The additional beds at the Lakeshore residence adds to the 426 beds. The new residence building is located next to the original residence “R” building, near the intersection of Lakeshore Blvd and Twenty-Second Street. In North Campus, there are already 1019 beds, which makes almost 1800 beds for students every year.

Federal Immigration Minister Mark Miller announced in January the cap of international students for two years. The cap is based on a “zero net-growth” model that will not exceed the number of study permits expired for the year. This is intended to reduce demand on the housing market, as rent rose by 22 per cent in the last two years. There was a record high of 1 million students being hosted in Canada in 2023. Out of the 364,000 study permits allocated for the year, 235,000 permits were distributed to Ontario colleges and universities.

Jacob Boudreau, a second year graphic design student living in residence, says he is happy with the new addition of beds. “I’m not in the new building but I have some buddies in there, it’s a nice building for sure. I think it’s a beautiful building, I just think there needs to be a bit more space for more people to order food in the cafeteria with all the new people.”

According to Milic, on average, 2,400 students apply for residence each year between both campuses. To help as many students as possible, Humber has collaborative efforts to help students find off-campus housing as an alternative.

Humber is partnered with Sparrow, a home-sharing platform that matches hosts who have spare bedrooms with people seeking budget-friendly places to live. Humber is part of Sparrow’s school network of universities and colleges.

Oren Singer, co-founder and Sparrow CEO wrote in an email, “Humber is known for its diverse student population, including a significant number of international students, which aligns well with Sparrow’s mission to help students find suitable living arrangements that support their academic and personal growth.”