The QUAD @ York University is the emblem of 'new' student-housing developments at post-secondary instittuions across Ontario.

It started with York University's Aministration mandating the York University Development Corporation (YUDC) to "...leverage its significant landholdings in the private real-estate property market" (Evans & Sotomayor, 2020).

YUDC put-out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the development of land which was previously used for parking on campus. Forum Campus Suites, a private development firm, submitted a proposal for what we know today as the QUAD at York — over 1,600 units of luxury and/or condo-style student housing located on York University's Campus.

This kind of public-priavte development model (P3s) becamse the norm to building student residence after public funding for post-secondary institutions was cut in the 1970-80s.

It's worth noting that the QAUD is not officially affiliated with Yrok University — it is privately managed and operated, and provides student services independent from the University, which might eb the reason that student report issues living in the QUAD.

The QUAD is luxury and/or condo-style residence for students at York University, and "luxury" doesn't exactly attach itself to "affordability". In 2020, the average cost of a living at the QUAD exceeded $1,300/month, or close to $16,000/year — that's more than twice (2x) the average cost of tutition at York University.

So when we speak about the problem with the QUAD, we're speaking about how "new" Purpose Built Student Accomodations (PBSAs) like the QUAD are pushing the "hidden" costss of attending a post-secondary institution – rent – to a whole new level.

PBSAs mean that students lose-out on accessing publically subsidized housing options on campus. Whereas the cost of a unit in the York Apartments might be close to $1000/month, the cost of living at the QUAD is on average 23% more expensive, and because the QUAD is managed and operated by a private development firm, rents are pegged to average market rents (AMR), which means they increase alongside market rent increases.

So not only does the QUAD fail to offer affordbale housing for residents, but it also forfeits the long-term prospects for the affordbale housing at the respective development, with downstream effects on the availability and affordability of other housing options for York community residents.

Why is it an Issue?

Beyond year-over-year increases in rent costs for residents, which for low-income individuals, negatively impacts thei ability to succed professionally, academically, and/or personally, the QUAD serves as a reminder of what students want, and not what students need.

The issue is that students and residents need access to affordbale and avialable housing on and/or near campus, and the QUAD simply isn't affordable. For many, that means that PBSAs are simply out of reach financially, and so students and/or residents are forced to opt to live in the Village @ York, which comes with its own slew of problems.

And while the York Apartments might be a suitable alternative to the QUAD's affordbaility issues, there is a significant lack of available housing in these apartments, meaning that students are gambling to find a place to live before their semester starts.

So while the QUAD was built to meet the demand for student housing, it is instead perpetuating the demand for affordbale accomodations for students and residents — and this demand is now reaching a crisis point. When students cannot find an affordbale place ot live on-campus, and they decide to move to affordbale housing enclaves like the Village @ York, they engage in a process that researchers call "studentification".

Studentificaiton is a subset of gentrificaiton, whereby students move into low-income and working class neighbourhood, displacing low-income and working class residents to increasingly unaffordbale neighbourhoods. This displacement is then followed by rent increases, which transform previously affordbale housing options into increasingly unaffordable housing options.

For example, when the Village was built in 2003, and construction was finalized in 2008, rooming house rents ranged between $350 - $800/month. After the QUAD was developed in 2017, the cost of a room in the Village ranged form anywhere between $400 - $1600/month.

YCHA focuses on harnessing the collective voices of students, residents, homeowners and landlord in the York Community to lobby the city and city councillors for action on housing.

Our goal is to funnel the issues surrounding safe, clean and secure housing in the York Community directly to the public and municipal authorities.

How Does YCHA help?

1. By identifying the injustices that affect residents/students living in the York Community;

2. By providing personal guidance, support and solutions to challenge injustice;

3. By raising awareness and addressing ongoing issues with housing in the City of Toronto, The Village @ York University, the QUAD @ York, and York Grad/Undergrad Residence;

4. By educating and empowering students/residents and landlords on their rights and responsibilities as per the Landlord and Tenant Act, and Provincial and Municipal By-Laws;

5. By supporting residents living in and/or seeking to leave precarious, unsafe, and/or untenable living and housing conditions on a case-by-case basis.