New data suggests the federal government’s cap on international students is already helping to cool Canada’s rental housing market, leading experts to question whether more general restrictions on immigration should be introduced.
A report from Rentals.ca found rental prices increased last month by the slowest annual rate in nearly three years, propelled by year-over-year decreases in certain cities with large post-secondary institutions, like London, Ont., Windsor, Ont., and Hamilton, Ont.
According to housing expert Mike Moffatt, the report justifies the federal government’s decision to temporarily cap the number of international study permits issued every year.