Thousands move into dorms as U of C sees record number of applications for accommodation

Student concerns over affordability are at the core of a record-breaking number applications for campus housing, according to a services director with the University of Calgary.

For the second year in a row, the university saw the number of people moving into dorms reach a new high.

Shane Royal, the U of C's director of ancillary services — an operations group responsible for student accommodations — points to a number of factors spurring the trend, including the rental crunch in the city.

"We have seen strong demand for two years in a row," Royal said. "Relative to market we're a more affordable solution for students."

Just more than 3,000 people moved into the University of Calgary's housing on Sunday, of which around 1,200 are international students and 1,250 are first-year students — including lifelong friends Hans Go and Alex Simard, who made their way west from Swan River, Man.

"We've had that planned for a long time coming," Simard said. "It worked out great for us."

Adjusting to the demand

Prior to the pandemic years, the demand for housing was flat, at an increase of about one to two per cent annually, according to Royal.

Now he says the demand has skyrocketed to a 37 per cent increase compared to what it was pre-COVID. 

"We have started a process where we're doing a housing master plan to understand our requirement for the next 10 years so that we're being thoughtful about what we're building," he said.

"We have to do a good understanding of the marketplace and what is our future enrolment and what is the student demand going to be for housing before we increase the housing that we have."

The school also used to guarantee first- and second-year students a space in residence. However, this cohort will be the last under that policy.

Royal says with the demand that guarantee will only apply to first-year students going forward. 

Waitlist dwindles but concerns remain

Throughout the summer months, the waitlist for on-campus housing peaked at more than 700. It's now down to less than 80 as students have found other ways to secure accommodation. 

That, however, has also sparked some worry.

The university's students' union said it has heard from many students facing challenges, including some who are forced to live in the far corners of the city where they are poorly served by transit.

For others, the search has been complicated by scams, high rental prices and a lack of accessibility.