A contracting company is hoping to come to North Bay and assist with finding more housing options for students attending both Canadore College and Nipissing University.
Places4Students.com has been hired by the two local institutions as an off-campus housing service.
"Students are currently making arrangements to attend school in North Bay this upcoming semester, yet finding it difficult to locate safe and affordable housing accommodations due to low vacancy rates," explains Kim, a Marketing Specialist with Places4Students.com.
"To assist with this dilemma, we are raising awareness in the community about the need for more rental accommodations for the students."
Officials say students are finding it difficult to locate safe and affordable housing accommodations due to low vacancy rates across the country. This poses an even greater challenge for international students travelling from abroad.
Algonquin College is one of the Ontario schools endorsing the Places4Students.com program.
“Places4Students provides a great online portal for students looking for a place to live in all three communities where we have Algonquin College campuses – Ottawa, Perth and Pembroke," said Patrick Newell, Senior Manager of Student Life, Algonquin Students’ Association.
"They provide students and landlords with an in-depth online profile of each listing, including amenities, rates and photos. They have helped provide a connection to the rental market that students have been looking for.”
Canadore College officials admit the rental housing market has been tight for many years ranging from 1 per cent vacancy to roughly 5 per cent.
“Currently, the market is reflecting provincial trends of high priced housing, increased rental costs and tightened markets for renters," Shawn Chorney, Canadore Vice President Enrolment Management, Indigenous and Student Services.
To assist with the dilemma, this question is being presented to homeowners and the benefits being discussed by the company, “Have you ever considered renting a spare room within your home to a student attending college or university in your community?”
Some colleges and universities are offering FREE general listings at this time to generate more housing options for their students online (check Places4Students.com for offers and details). For more information, please contact 1-866-766-0767, [email protected] or visit https://www.places4students.com.
