02-13-2017, 01:32 PM
If every post-secondary student in Waterloo Region were to end up living in higher density building, that would potentially release a lot of lower tier housing stock onto the market. But that will never happen because that is not where the money is. Putting up a high density tower takes a lot of capital which means either a company with deep pockets, or a company that convinces a lot of small investors to buy units. There will also likely be small investors who prefer to buy a single-family home or townhouse and then rent it to their children and friends. Since these rents are likely tied to mortgage payments, I doubt that an investor-owner is going to be willing to lower their prices.
Out of curiosity, how to the Waterloo Region rents of $500-$700/bedroom compare to other cities? As long as $500-$700/bedroom appears to be cheaper than a big-city rent, there will likely be lots of incoming students who continue to see that rent as a bargain price, regardless of the actual quality of the space.
Out of curiosity, how to the Waterloo Region rents of $500-$700/bedroom compare to other cities? As long as $500-$700/bedroom appears to be cheaper than a big-city rent, there will likely be lots of incoming students who continue to see that rent as a bargain price, regardless of the actual quality of the space.