Student housing can benefit a neighbourhood

Several of Ottawa’s neighbourhood associations have sent a letter to the mayor asking for “an immediate freeze on the development of any student housing that is not on the campus of a post-secondary educational institution … (This) should cover all types of developments from housing conversions to more large-scale plans for student housing.”
They say the city needs a student-housing strategy, and that in absence of one, all developments for student housing must cease. The argument is that conversions and developments must be done with care for the impact on the neighbourhood, and that argument is true on its face. But in this debate, the downsides of student housing tend to get disproportionate attention. And a freeze could needlessly delay or prevent useful projects that could benefit not only students, but also their neighbourhoods. More...