Nova Scotia students are slamming a Minister’s remarks about international students amid the housing crisis.
Advanced Education Minister Brian Wong said last week international students need to take responsibility for finding housing when coming to Nova Scotia. He said students and their families should do their due diligence and make sure they have a place to live.
This comes following Housing Minister Sean Fraser’s comments on suggesting implementing a cap on the number of international students coming to the province.
CFS International Student Representative Damanpreet Singh says, “International students bring so much to our communities and campuses, yet our current post-secondary education system relies on exploiting these students for high fees to keep universities afloat. To place responsibility for the housing crisis on international students is unacceptable and raises concerns of xenophobia.”
CFS-NS says international students pay on average 2.5 times more for tuition than students from the province, due to a deregulation. It means fees raise by 10-25% each year, in some cases. The cost of rent is now on average $1,987 for a one-bedroom apartment. The organization says many international students are unaware of how to navigate the housing system or ‘assert their tenant rights on landlords’.
CFS-NS Chair Aideen Reynolds adds, “International students are not to blame for the housing crisis and it is the responsibility of the government and universities, not international students, to ensure there is adequate affordable housing for everyone in the province.”
The organization urges the province to take responsibility for this current crisis by making housing more affordable, implementing permanent rent control and banning renovictions.
