By: Emilee Schevers
CNIB National Youth Council Member
In your first year of post-secondary studies, most students either live at home or live on campus in residence. Easy-peasy. But what happens after the first year? Where do you live, and what should you look for in a rental unit?
In my first year of college, I lived in a student residence. For me, living on campus was ideal. In my second year of studies, I decided to move off-campus and began my hunt for affordable student housing! I looked online at the lone resource my college provided me with and chose to live with five complete strangers. For nearly eight months, I dealt with everything from a sink filled with dirty dishes to being awoken in the middle of the night by loud noises. It wasn’t ideal, but I sucked it up because I thought I had to.
When I decided to return to college for a post-secondary certificate, I knew this time I had to get it right. I thought about what I was looking for in an apartment. My budget, preferred location, roommate situation, amenities like WIFI, utilities, laundry, proximity to transportation and the closest grocery store. These were all the necessities I was looking for.
Once again, I referred to my college's online housing resource and found nothing. I tried Google searches, rental websites, and Facebook listings –still nothing. I encountered rental scams that used fake stock images with vague addresses. Some offers required me to find my own roommates (I didn’t know anyone) or were way out of my budget.
After months of searching, I found a single-floor home with two roommates in similar fields. It was close to my college and on a bus route with everything I needed!
I found it helpful to use “student housing” specific searches instead of general ones to find lower prices and my desired location. I also had to learn to put myself out there and be open to meeting new people because I didn’t want to live alone.
If you’re struggling to find affordable student housing, please don’t give up! And remember, just because you are renting away from home doesn't mean you have to settle. It can still be a HOME and not just a house. Good luck with your hunt!