BY AMAN SINGH

NDP MLA for Richmond-Queensborough

As New Westminster and its neighbouring regions continue to grow, so does the Douglas College community.

There is currently a significant student housing shortage at the New Westminster campus, as well as a lack of affordable housing in the region, further straining the already low vacancy rates in the surrounding areas. This is forcing students to enter bidding wards with landlords to secure a place to live, and paying rents $300-$500 greater than the original advertised price.

Additionally, students from the surrounding areas such as North and West Vancouver, Squamish, Maple Ridge, and Abbotsford, have significant commute times due to traffic and distance.

We know that post-secondary students are busy with going to class, writing papers, studying, and preparing for exams, and shouldn’t have to worry about finding a place to call home.

For 16 years, the BC Liberals neglected post-secondary students. In all that time, they only built 130 units of student housing. Far from enough to keep up with our growing population and the growing demand for further education.

That’s why our provincial government is making the largest investment ever made in B.C. in a post-secondary institution, with funding of $202.3 million for new student housing and academic space at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus.

This project will offer 368 beds for students, as well as a dedicated academic space with classrooms, dining services, and student collaboration space to ensure that the needs of students are met.

These units are just some of the over 6,800 new student housing spaces currently open or underway across the province, with more to come. We’re committed to investing in this vital infrastructure because it will benefit so many people.

Investing in student housing spaces makes post-secondary education more accessible and affordable for people, allowing more people to pursue their goals and start successful careers. These investments also reduce the pressure on the rental market in the wider community, as fewer students will be competing with other residents for rental homes.

The new on-campus housing project is designed for first- and second-year students, with priority access for Indigenous students and students who are former Youth-in-Care. These groups traditionally face more barriers to entering and completing post-secondary education.

This project is part of Homes for BC, a 10-year housing plan to work with partners to deliver 114,000 affordable homes over 10 years. We’re working hard to deliver 8,000 new student housing spaces on campus throughout B.C. by 2028. Today, nearly 34,000 new affordable homes are completed or underway in over 100 communities throughout B.C. We will continue to work closely with city councils and education partners to deliver the housing people need.