SOUND OFF: Affordable housing for students

We have been working hard to make up for these years and years of inaction. We are now 97% of the way toward our goal of building 8,000 new student housing spaces by 2028.

We’re committed to investing in this vital infrastructure because it’s an investment in our future. Having affordable student housing on-campus makes post-secondary education more accessible, meaning more young people can get the training they need. In the coming years and decades, more and more jobs will require post-secondary education in some form, so by creating these opportunities now, we are setting our province up for a more prosperous and successful future.

The new student housing at TRU will be a modular, four-storey building with space for 148 students across 80 rooms. Built on a vacant portion of land in the University’s East Village, this is the first phase of a planned project that will see three buildings built when completed. Our government is investing $10.85 million to the project, while TRU will contribute $7.92 million.

Elsewhere in the Interior, we’re also working on student housing projects at Okanagan College, with a total of 376 new units underway across the campuses in Salmon Arm, Vernon and Kelowna. Selkirk College will also gain 148 new spaces across their Castlegar and Nelson campuses.

Attending university or college should be an exciting time for students, full of new experiences, new friends, and new skills. It shouldn’t be accompanied by stress about finding or affording a place to live – and that’s why we’re continuing these important investments.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.

by Minister of Advanced Education and Skills Training Anne Kang

SOUND OFF: Affordable housing for students

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