New 500-bed student residence opening for Algoma University learners in Brampton
Published May 6, 2024 at 4:22 pm
Algoma University is readying to open a new student residence in Brampton that is expected to provide housing for more than 500 students.
The university will be announcing details of its new student housing facility on Tuesday, and follows a plea by Mayor Patrick Brown for universities and post-secondary institutions to make more housing options available to students in their communities.
Student housing is a lightning rod issue in Brampton with an influx of students from both Canada and abroad either learning or living in the city. While it’s unclear exactly how many international learners both live and attend classes in Brampton, a report to city council in December showed Sheridan College had 9,331 while Algoma University had 8,762.
Canada has made sweeping changes to its international student policies in recent months, including a two-year cap on admissions which is expected to bring a 35 per cent overall reduction in new study visas in 2024.
Other changes to the international student program include more than doubling the cost-of-living requirement for Canadian study permit applicants to $20,635, an updated work program, and lengthening the time graduating international students could work in Canada without an employment visa.
The city has also called on Ottawa to require international students to provide an address for appropriate accommodations before they are accepted for study, and for the province to more than double the Heads and Beds levy from $75 to $158 per student – a move that could result in $117 million for the city every year.
