There have been ongoing accusations that international students are flooding university towns and taking up all the affordable housing. These narratives paint international students as the culprit, but a new study affirms that there is no basis for blaming international students for Canada's housing crisis and looks to change the narrative.

The study was led by a team of researchers at the University of Waterloo's Faculty of Environment and debunks popular myths about international students. For example, international students are often perceived as temporary visitors who are young, hyper-mobile and care-free individuals.

While some may fit this demographic, the researchers point out that the reality is much different. Currently, one in five international students is estimated to live with their partner and children during their studies, and these families are overlooked in Canada's policy and planning in higher education, migration and housing.

"The needs of international student families haven't really been discussed," says Dr. Alkim Karaagac, researcher in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management and principal investigator of the new study. "There is an invisibility and silence, which is a perfect recipe for vulnerability and exploitation."

Focusing on this vulnerable population, the researchers conducted a two-year case study on the housing experiences of 21 international student families living off-campus in the Waterloo region. The region is a unique location to investigate given it has the largest purpose-built student housing market in the country and is reported to have one of the least affordable housing markets among Canadian university towns.

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