City, universities tackle Edmonton's student housing crunch

The City of Edmonton is building a strategy to tackle the housing crunch for renters attending university and college as the schools themselves press forward with their own plans.

Post-secondary students will be surveyed this fall as part of the city's work in partnership with the Edmonton Students' Association (ESA) to improve housing supply and affordability. 

The ESA is a group of post-secondary student associations working together to represent post-secondary students in the Edmonton region. The ESA represents nearly 100,000 students, according to the city. 

The survey will ask students about housing availability, affordability and location to get a better idea of the challenges faced when trying to rent in Edmonton while attending post-secondary school. The results will then be used for the city, in collaboration with ESA, to create a new student housing strategy. 

At the same time, 50 new rental spaces are expected to open to students at MacEwan University in a building near campus, in a pilot project between the university and a yet-to-be-named developer. 

The moves come as 40 per cent of 1,500 students surveyed last spring told the Students' Association of MacEwan University they couldn't afford more than $500 rent monthly.

"There are stories of students just living in their cars to be able to have an education," association president Gabriel Ambutong said in an interview.

"That's simply not acceptable."

Ambutong knows first-hand how hard it is to find suitable housing on a budget in Edmonton.

He recalled sharing an apartment infested with cockroaches and springing leaks before upgrading to a more secure, healthy apartment near campus.

But he works full-time to be able to make rent.

"You're sacrificing your time for your academics," Ambutong said. "It's not a privilege to have a place to live — it's an absolute need."

As of this February, the average monthly rental in Edmonton shot up to $1,479 for a one-bedroom, according to rentals.ca.

That's nearly double what 80 per cent of surveyed MacEwan students reported to be the maximum rent they could afford, at $750 per month.

Even MacEwan's sole student residence, which has a waiting list, is beyond reach for most surveyed students with rents running between $700 and $1,150 a month.

MacEwan is not the only school taking action.

Concordia University of Edmonton is spending three-quarters of its current $11.9 million capital budget to develop new on-campus housing at 73rd Street and 112th Avenue.

The 200-bed residence will triple the current inventory, where demand consistently exceeds capacity, Zachary Flynn, a university spokesperson, wrote in an email. 

"Recognizing the importance of affordable student housing in supporting long-term, sustainable enrolment growth, CUE's administration and board of governors have prioritized expansion."

The expected move-in date for Concordia students is January 2027.

In contrast, MacEwan is moving away from landlord responsibilities, despite expecting to grow from 20,000 to 30,000 students over the next five years.

MacEwan University president Annette Trimbee said MacEwan has been in ongoing conversations with developers and each project staged over the next few years could look quite different in terms of the partner, building, number of units and timeline.

"What will develop will be more aligned with the needs of students, more in step with the demand for growth both from our institution and other institutions," Trimbee said.

MacEwan's "smash the calendar" approach of year-round learning also appeals to developers who no longer have to worry about student renters disappearing in the summer months, Trimbee added.

In November, OEG Inc. and MacEwan signed a memorandum of understanding to create opportunities for students, including housing.

"We view student housing as a viable and needed option for our urban village development," Tim Shipton OEG's executive vice-president of external affairs, wrote in an email, pointing to mutual goals including a vibrant, safe downtown.

"Over the years, we've built an organic relationship with MacEwan through shared initiatives and now seems like an ideal time to grow that relationship as our city is in desperate need of the right housing options to meet the population growth we are seeing," 

The city said the survey results will inform future work with the Edmonton Students' Association to develop a student housing strategy.

"Right now, we're still playing catch up and there's a lot of work that needs to be done, but I'm very happy to see the first steps," Ambutong said.