This was further amplified by the increase in the number of international students. The number of study permit holders grew by 44.3 per cent between October 2020 and August 2021, compared to the same period a year earlier, according to government data. Consequently, vacancy rates fell last year in places such as Kingston and London in Ontario.
Yet despite the increase in the supply of PBR housing, a sizable segment of the population still struggles with affording housing in large urban centres.