University to provide more student housing after criticism

Canada’s University of Guelph says it’s exploring options that may result in more off-campus residence spaces for the fall semester. The comments on Friday 14 June were in response to Mayor Cam Guthrie’s statement on Thursday condemning the university for admitting roughly 1,300 more students than they have residence spaces for this fall, writes Cameron Mahler for CBC News.

Statistics from the Ontario Universities’ Application Centre show the University of Guelph has 7,849 confirmed offers of acceptance from students, a 52.6% increase over 2023. In an emailed statement from Jessamine Luck, a University of Guelph spokesperson, the university said it admitted more students this year “to enhance the university’s financial sustainability and support academic and research excellence”.

In anticipation of the higher enrolment, the statement said it increased the number of residence spaces at the North, South, East and West on-campus residences. The university’s statement said that in addition to spaces at a former hotel it’s leasing on Gordon Street, it would be looking for community partnerships to expand off-campus spaces for the fall.
Full report on the CBC News site