Some international students claim they were misled about housing and job availability by overseas recruiters working for a university in Nova Scotia. The province, however, said it is preparing to launch a student housing strategy to help ease the crisis.
Nova Scotia’s Minister of Advanced Education Brian Wong has called on international students to take responsibility for finding housing and jobs before arriving in the province or ensuring they have adequate financial resources to support themselves.
In a report by CBC News, Wong acknowledged concerns raised by international students who claim they were misled about housing and job availability by overseas recruiters working for Cape Breton University. In addition to the housing and employment challenges, students across Canada are also grappling with a tight housing market.
While recognizing the possibility of unscrupulous recruiters, he affirmed that Cape Breton University is actively training its recruiters to provide accurate and honest information to students. The university reportedly enrolled over 7,000 students last year, with approximately 70 percent being international students.
Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser recently said that the Canadian government is contemplating measures to alleviate this pressure, including potential limits on the number of international students admitted.
Wong, meanwhile, said he has not been part of discussions on capping international student numbers.
Nova Scotia student housing strategy
The Nova Scotia government, for its part, is developing a student housing strategy, initially slated for release last spring but still awaiting public unveiling.
Wong did not provide a specific timeline for its release but mentioned that the province is supporting post-secondary institutions financially in their housing initiatives. He clarified that post-secondary institutions have the autonomy to decide their recruitment strategies and are not obligated to provide accommodations, as they are independent entities.
“If we’re in a housing crisis or a cost-of-living crisis, I think it’s imperative that students do have money in order to support themselves when they come to Nova Scotia or they come to Canada,” he said.
