‘I would have gone elsewhere’: Residence waitlist frustrates U of G students

The waitlist for first-year students looking to get into residences at the University of Guelph (U of G) has people concerned they won’t have a place to live come the fall.

Students were sent an email on Monday, June 10 that let them know there are about 1,300 names on the residence waitlist.

A student attending the university already, Nate Broughton, checked while on the phone with CityNews June 11 and said the waitlist is currently at 1,354 names. Broughton also sits on the Board of Directors for the Central Student Association at the university but gave opinions from his own views as a student.

“That really came as a shock to a lot of people. Before that point, the biggest estimate that I heard someone from the university give was like 600 students and that was less than a week prior to that email going out,” said Broughton. “This is such a large quantity of students that its going to be a really big strain on the rental market overall if they aren’t able to be housed.”

He said that he has seen prices for student rentals fluctuate, adding rentals are becoming increasingly unaffordable.

According to a report from Rentals.ca, in May the average price for a one bedroom apartment in Guelph was $2,112 a month and a two bedroom was $2,488.

This isn’t a new problem for the university. In 2022, the university said they couldn’t accommodate all first-year students while welcoming one of the largest intakes in their history with more than 5,000 students.

Last year, it was able to temporarily use the Days Inn on Gordon Street as a student residence.

In March, the university sent out a news release containing a Housing Demand Study that found the university is meeting student residence demands.

It reads, “As a result, U of G can now expand residence space guarantees for the vast majority of international students beginning their studies in fall 2024 to include the duration of their academic endeavors at U of G. This expansion recognizes the importance of providing enhanced wraparound supports to international students.”

That study was done by the SCION Group, known as a leading operator and advisor on North America’s student housing. In it it says the university has on-campus housing for 20 per cent of the total student population by “consistently accommodating first-years’ requests to live in residences.”

An assessment of existing and planned purpose-built student housing in Guelph showed a limited number of housing locations.

When Broughton heard about the long waitlist, he put out a message on social media to collect feedback from students and to hear about what their plans are. Broughton received close to 100 responses.

Some of which include:

“I applied here solely for the purpose of living on campus.”

“Had I known THIS was what was going to happen I would have gone elsewhere.”

“This has created incredible anxiety. What a terrible start to university life.”

“Affected my mental health. Really disappointed with how the university is handling this.”

“Financially, it’s extra stressful on families with students waiting for housing.”

“I don’t have my driver’s license, how am I supposed to commute?”

“They had no way to know what the waitlist was before the deadline for choosing a university,” said Broughton. “They’re kind of in a position where they’ve chosen a university based on the assumption that they would get into residence and now they don’t really have a way to change because now we are passed the selection deadline.”

CityNews received an email this week from a concerned mother who said she was sad to learn on Monday that her daughter was number 400 on that list with the deadline now passed to choose a different university.

In a press release issued on June 11, the U of G confirmed that housing staff did connect with students and families about spots on residence waitlist along with information about expanded supports for students who live off-campus.

“We understand the uncertainty that comes with not receiving a residence confirmation,” said Melinda Scott, vice provost, student affairs in the release. “U of G is committed to supporting students with information about off-campus housing and a suite of other services to help make their transition to university and their first year successful.”

Just over 7,000 students have accepted offers of admission to the university’s main campus, according to data pulled from the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre. (OUAC)

The release reads, “while these numbers will fluctuate over the summer, the university is anticipating a higher enrolment number compared to last year.”

U of G said that planning has been underway to support the larger cohort such as creating additional housing options. They have added housing inventory to its north, south, east and west residences. It also plans to lease the hotel on Gordon Street again to add additional capacity and say they are exploring options with community partners toward expanding off-campus spaces for fall. It is also looking into intensifying housing on university-owned land.

“We targeted higher enrolment numbers for fall 2024, but also had an exceptional response in the number of students who want to come to the University of Guelph,” said Dr. Gwen Chapman, provost and vice-president (academic) in the release. “As we prepare to welcome the incoming class of 2024, we remain committed to academic excellence across programs and to delivering the unique student experience we are known for.”

The release stated that “the strategic growth aims to enhance the University’s financial sustainability and support academic and research excellence, and an enriched student experience.”

“The University of Guelph does not guarantee housing.”

The university said they started communicating in April with applicants who did not have a confirmed spot in residence so they could consider all of their options and have more time to explore off-campus housing.

They said early notification was given to confirm students had a residence spot was intended to allow them time to consider their choices before the deadline.

“For students who have not yet received a residence confirmation for fall, the University’s Off-Campus Living team is available to help and the University’s Student Experience team has a variety of supports and connections for off-campus and commuting students.”