First-year University of Calgary students feel the squeeze of student housing shortage

Sunday was a move-in day with a twist for some University of Calgary students, namely that there wasn’t anywhere for them to move in to.

A record-high number of first-year students, more than 1,300, are moving into residences, causing such a housing squeeze that the university is renting 51 rooms at the Aloft Hotel while it works to expand its student housing supply.

Shane Royal, the senior director of ancillary services at the U of C, said there’s nothing that quite matches the energy level of move-in day.

“Today's an exciting day, with the move in and welcoming all the students,” Royal said. “Obviously, leading up to this, it's been a challenge with the housing crisis that's currently in Calgary.

“We get a lot more applications than we have space for,” he added, “but we find, as long as we're communicating with students and being realistic with what they're if they're going to get into residence or not, they have an ability to find alternative housing in the city.”

Royal said the university is working on plans to create more student housing options.

“Obviously that doesn't happen overnight,” Royal said. “It takes a bit of time to work through those plans, but we are actively pursuing plans to increase our student  housing population and we continue to look at other relationships in the city to augment student housing in the short term as well.”

'Beautiful day'

First-year student Brendan McGrath secured housing, after hearing about a room shortage on CTV when he was back home in southern Ontario.

“When I saw the dates for it, I instantly applied when it first came open,” he said. “I know it's lottery-based for what room you prefer, but it is guaranteed first year, so I'd hoped that was a thing still.

"So yeah, no worries," he added. "I know I was hoping that this was going to be guaranteed, so I didn't consider anything (else), but I'm sure if that was an issue, I'd have to go look for somewhere to rent instantly.

"So (it’s) ,just a beautiful day," McGrath said. "Beautiful people. And I'm excited to meet people and get acquainted, for sure.”

With files from CTV's Tyler Barrow