Academic institutions in the United States are facing growing challenges – creating a rare opportunity for Canada to position itself as a destination for global talent.
From slashed public funding and ideological interference in research to growing restrictions on academic freedom and the deportation of international students, the U.S. is rapidly becoming inhospitable to global scholars and learners.
These shifts have not gone unnoticed. High-profile academics are leaving and international students are reconsidering their education pathways.
Canada has a rare opportunity to offer an alternative, with great benefits for them and for us.
We are seen as a country of openness, academic freedom and political stability. Our post-secondary institutions consistently rank among the world’s best and we have long benefited economically and culturally from welcoming international students and researchers. Many are increasingly looking to Canada now – not just for a degree, but for a future.
But just as this window opens, we risk closing it because of misguided fears about the past impact on the Canadian housing market. This is a mistake. Not just in policy, but in timing.
Instead, federal, provincial and municipal governments could take six relatively easy steps, ranging from increasing the stock of student housing by various means to cutting red tape and changing government land-use policies to speed new and existing projects. These measures would provide better options to students while easing pressure on the broader housing market.
A bad decision
Over the last year, at least partly in response to growing pressure on the overall housing market, the federal government introduced caps on international student visas.
This decision has been criticized by post-secondary institutions and provincial governments as a blunt instrument and the wrong lever to pull – misdiagnosing a housing shortage as a student-driven problem. While the housing crisis is real, pinning it on international students alone ignores the many other root causes.
Today, that policy appears even more out of step with global trends. While the U.S. pushes away academic talent, Canada is limiting our intake rather than increasing it. Rather than seizing this moment to attract world-class minds, we are sending a message that we are not ready to welcome them.
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International students contributed more than $30.9 billion to Canada’s GDP and supported more than 361,000 jobs in 2022. They fill labour market gaps, enrich the research ecosystem and often become permanent residents, contributing to long-term economic growth and social cohesion.
Meanwhile, Canada’s long-standing productivity slump continues to concern economists and policymakers. Labour productivity declined again in 2024. Attracting and retaining highly skilled international talent is one of the most promising ways to reverse this trajectory.
Action can be taken now
Yes, we must act on housing. But the answer lies in quick, targeted measures to increase supply – not in closing the door to global talent. Here are six options that can be enacted within six months.
- Convert vacant commercial properties to student housing: Canada’s urban cores are dotted with half-empty office buildings. Fast-tracking approvals and offering targeted grants to repurpose these spaces into microunits or residences would create capacity quickly, without expanding the urban footprint.
- Launch a national student housing acceleration fund: A matching federal-provincial grant program for universities, colleges and non-profits could bring shovel-ready housing projects to life. Many institutions already have land and plans. They just need swift financing and regulatory clarity.
- Deploy modular housing on public lands: Modular and prefabricated housing can be constructed and installed in weeks. Temporary residences on underutilized government-owned lands can meet immediate demand and be repurposed later.
- Incentivize homestay and room rentals: Many households have unused bedroom spaces. A national incentive program paired with tax credits and safety protocols could encourage Canadians to open their homes to vetted students, expanding capacity without new construction.
- Fast-track purpose-built rental developments: Municipal red tape is a well-known barrier to increasing housing stock. Federal and provincial governments can work with cities to accelerate zoning approvals and provide financing incentives for purpose-built rentals near campuses.
- Revitalize co-op and community housing units: Thousands of affordable units sit dormant due to maintenance and operating costs. Targeted support, through interim grants or capital injections, could make these units available to serve students, newcomers and low-income households.
This is not simply a housing challenge. It is a nation-building moment. Canada has the rare chance to position itself as the world’s new home for global talent, just as our closest neighbour turns inward.
But windows of opportunity don’t remain open forever.
In an election year where party leaders and voters are seeking bold ideas, a smart housing strategy that enables, rather than restricts, international talent can boost productivity, strengthen our innovation ecosystem and reaffirm Canada’s place on the global stage.
Housing is a serious issue. But we cannot afford to sacrifice our long-term future for short-term optics. We cannot afford to wait. We must act now to attract the academic talent our future demands.
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