More student housing opening at Okanagan College (flickr.com)

Media Contacts

Office of the Premier

Media Relations
premier.media@gov.bc.ca

Ministry of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills

Media Relations
604 209-7629

Backgrounders

What to know about student-housing investments in the province

Expanding access to student housing is part of the Homes for People action plan. Since 2018, government has committed more than $2 billion toward developing 12,000 student beds on campuses in the province. To date, 10,766 student-housing beds are complete or underway across the province. Out of these, 5,523 are open. This investment in student housing will help students access post-secondary education and will further ease pressure on the local rental markets.

Provincially funded projects include: 

Interior:  

New student housing already open: 

  • 533 beds at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Total project cost is $38 million ($25.5 million provincial funding). Completed in September 2019. 
  • 220 beds at University of British Columbia Okanagan in Kelowna. Total project cost is $25 million ($18.7 million provincial funding). Completed in September 2020.  
  • 100 beds at the College of the Rockies in Cranbrook. Total project cost is $19 million ($12.9 million provincial funding). Completed in December 2020.  
  • 148 beds at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. Total project cost is $19 million ($10.9 million provincial funding). Completed in November 2023. 
  • Okanagan College campuses in Vernon (101 beds) and Kelowna (216 beds). Total project cost with Salmon Arm campus is $75.1 million ($73.1 million provincial funding). 

New student housing underway:

  • Okanagan College campus Salmon Arm (60 beds). Total project cost with Kelowna and Vernon campuses is $75.1 million ($73.1 million provincial funding). 
  • Selkirk College in Castlegar (114 beds) and Nelson (36 beds). Total project cost is $37.7 million ($35.6 million provincial funding). 
  • Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (30 beds). Total project cost is $19.6 million ($19.6 million provincial funding). 
  • Okanagan College Penticton campus (101 beds). Total project cost is $24 million ($23.5 million provincial funding). 

Lower Mainland:  

New student housing already open:

  • 383 beds at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. Total cost is $115.6 million ($73 million provincial funding). Completed in May 2023. 

New student housing underway: 

  • 398 beds at University of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford. Total cost is $105 million ($87.6 million provincial funding). 
  • 362 beds at Capilano University in North Vancouver. Total cost is $58.2 million ($41.5 million provincial funding). 
  • 470 beds at the British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby. Total cost is $141.7 million ($129 million provincial funding). 
  • 368 beds and an academic space at Douglas College in New Westminster. Total cost is $332.5 million (government contribution of $232.3 million: $74 million in provincial funding for the academic part of the project and $158.3 million for student housing from B.C. student housing program). 
  • 333 beds at Capilano University in Squamish. Total cost is $55 million ($48 million in provincial funding).  
  • 445 beds at Simon Fraser University in Burnaby. Total cost is $187.6 million ($132.2 million provincial funding).  
  • 1,508 beds (1,333 new and 175 replacement beds) at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Total cost is $559.9 million ($300 million provincial funding).  

Northern B.C.: 

New student housing already open: 

  • 108 beds at Coast Mountain College in Terrace. Total project cost is $21.6 million ($20.6 million provincial funding). Opened in October 2021.  
  • In Prince George, the College of New Caledonia opened 12 beds in September 2021. Total project cost is $5.3 million, fully funded by the province.  

Vancouver Island: 

New student housing already open: 

  • The University of Victoria opened its first 398-bed building with dining facilities in September 2022. The second 385-bed building opened in September 2023, for a total of 783 new beds (621 new and 162 replacement beds). Total project cost is $242.5 million ($127.7 million provincial funding). 

New student housing underway: 

  • 217 beds at North Island College. Total cost is $77.9 million ($75.9 million provincial funding). 
  • 266 new student housing beds at Vancouver Island University. Total cost is $103.6 million ($102.8 million provincial funding). 
  • 423 beds at Camosun College (Lansdowne). Total cost is $154.7 million ($151.7 million provincial funding).