An international student is speaking out about the horrible living conditions he and other tenants have been subjected to while studying in Toronto.
Ashish Sharma spoke with CTV News and shared a glimpse of what he’s endured just to secure a roof over his head while pursuing a higher education so far away from home.
The 25-year-old George Brown College student studying construction management said he’s had to share a mattress on the floor in a Scarborough bungalow basement.
The Nepal native currently pays $500 a month in rent and $25,000 in tuition fees.
“I shared a mattress with somebody because there was no mattress available at the time,” he said. “Just for sleeping, it’s okay, but for studying it’s a terrible place.”
Soon after, the other tenant found a mattress on the streets and brought it home.
Sharma said he spends most of his time at the library to escape life at the house , which he described as “torture.”
However, he fears that if he has to leave, he’ll end up paying more than he can afford in rent. He also said that as an international student securing a job is no easy task.
Owners must have a licence to operate rooming houses
According to the city’s website, rooming houses, where four or more people rent rooms and share a kitchen and washroom, are currently only allowed in certain areas in Toronto.
“Multi-tenant houses are an important part of the affordable rental housing market and provides single-room accommodation to diverse communities, including students, seniors, new immigrants and low/moderate income residents,” the site reads.
“In some areas, owners must have a licence to operate multi-tenant houses.”
Additionally, Canada’s Housing Minister Sean Fraser recently told reporters that a cap on the number of international students allowed to study across the nation is
“one of the options” that should be considered when discussing housing affordability as well as rental availability.
However, he also said that welcoming students is a great asset and can in the future contribute billions of dollars to the country’s GDP.
“It provides a pipeline of young and talented people who will be Canadian one day,” he said.
Fraser further pointed out that it is private colleges who he believes are “abusing” their power and bringing students to the country with no way of making sure they are properly supported.
