The prime minister acknowledged that a housing shortage had evolved over decades, attributing it to multiple factors, such as foreign homebuyers, aggressive developers, government under-investment, and international students, emphasizing that no single group was solely responsible for this crisis.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau rejected the notion of singling out international students as the main culprits behind the country’s housing crisis.
During a post-cabinet retreat press conference in Charlottetown, Trudeau dismissed the suggestion and pointed to a range of factors contributing to the crisis, the globalnews.ca reported.
Trudeau noted that over the years, various groups and factors, including foreign homebuyers, aggressive developers, under-investment by governments, and now international students, had been blamed for the housing shortage.
He stressed that this crisis had been developing over decades and was not the fault of any single group.
“It would be wrong to single out international students as a cause for Canada’s housing crisis, which is caused by multiple factors,” he said in the report.
The prime minister acknowledged the interconnected nature of these challenges and underscored the need for a comprehensive approach to address the housing crisis.
Trudeau’s comments come amid discussions within his cabinet about the connection between immigration targets and the housing crisis.
Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc emphasized the importance of immigration for Canada’s economic growth but also recognized the need for a coherent approach that considers housing affordability.
According to Statista’s data, the count of study permit holders in Canada, as of the year-end, increased from 2000 to 2022. Specifically, in 2022, there were a total of 807,260 international students in Canada.
Housing Minister Sean Fraser suggested the possibility of implementing a cap on international student admissions, citing the need for educational institutions to keep pace with housing demand.
However, Immigration Minister Marc Miller’s office clarified that a cap on international students alone would not be sufficient to address the housing issue.
“Abuses in the system exist and must be tackled in smart and logical ways. This potentially includes implementing a cap, but that can’t be the only measure, as it doesn’t address the entire problem,” said Bahoz Dara Aziz, Miller’s press secretary.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada also stated that they do not establish levels or caps for study permits in the same manner as permanent residence programs.
It also noted that they are undertaking a review of the international students program in response to concerns about fraud.
Housing for incoming international students has become a prominent issue in the ongoing consultations.
Advocacy groups, including the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change, have cautioned against linking immigration to the housing crisis, describing it as “racist thinking.”
Their report emphasized that immigrants, including temporary migrants, were not responsible for increased housing demand and were, in fact, facing a housing crisis themselves.
The report also highlighted a significant gap between population growth and surging rental and home purchase prices.
