As per the latest updates from countries around the world, almost every country like Canada, UK and others are facing a housing shortage. Both local residents and students are hard-hit by the shortage. Keeping the housing shortage in mind, experts in the industry were interviewed about the same.
As per the experts, the international students are not creating housing shortage. Moreover, capping international students is not going to help the country in either way. Even Michael Porritt, vice president of advisory services at Scion, says that capping international student “cutting off your left arm”.
Certain accommodation sector representatives reveal that capping international students is going to free up some housing. But it will be a temporary fix only. However, some even claim that international students add to the economy of the country, so capping them is not an option.
There is a need to closely collaborate between local councils, purpose-built student accommodation operators, universities, and developers. Not only this, but the government also needs to play an important role in dealing with the housing shortage.
The government policymakers need to provide a blueprint for student housing strategies. However, the main step the government need to take is to keep a check on red tape for developers and institutions. The local government is offering low-interest loans and grants to campuses for the construction of housing.
According to a recent study from the Class Foundation, student satisfaction is directly proportional to accommodation. So the institutes need to provide accommodation facilities for students. The experts say that great collaboration between different sectors is the key to addressing the housing shortage. The main focus of collaboration should be sharing data and collaborating with local government. Porritt said, “If the campus and the town are working together, they can figure out much better solutions than if they’re always just fighting each other.