Many post-secondary students in Edmonton and Calgary are scrambling to find affordable and convenient housing for the upcoming school year.
Alberta's economic boom is squeezing the market for rental properties, the manager of an off-campus housing registry told CBC News Monday.
Marc Dumouchel's company, rentingspaces.ca, helps students at NAIT, SAIT, Grant McEwan College and the University of Alberta find housing.
The boom is drawing workers from other areas, who contribute to the housing crunch for students, he said.
"The market's a lot tighter than it has been for the last few years," Dumouchel explained. "There are a lot more people looking and … about 30 to 40 per cent fewer listings and accommodations.
"I also think that a lot of the building of rental capacity just hasn't kept up with the growing population and such," Dumouchel said, adding that in many high-demand areas, older apartment buildings are converted to condominiums.
He says that landlords who put up ads in those areas get 10 to 20 calls in a few hours.
