Research
RUSH Oshawa
In Focus
Research on University Student
Housing in Oshawa
October 2026
Students at Ontario Tech University may struggle to find safe, clean, and affordable housing on campus or less than 30 minutes away. But Durham Region’s municipal housing strategies don’t typically track students as a distinct group of renters, so that strain may never show up in policy.
RUSH Oshawa is HOUSE Canada’s student-led research study on Ontario Tech students’ housing and living conditions. We’re collecting the evidence that decision-makers need to support more genuinely affordable student housing in Oshawa.
Students are paying record-high
rents to live near campus or
commuting hours each day
because they can’t afford to.
And yet, there is a big deficit in
comprehensive data that shows
how students live throughout
their post-secondary years.
How students rent, commute,
and experience housing is rarely
measured, despite having lasting
affects on academic success,
physical and mental health.
These realities remain largely.
absent from official housing data.
Without student-specific data,
housing policy and planning.
decisions fail to address the
real housing needs of
post-secondary students.
Housing Becomes
a Barrier
Policymakers, universities, and
housing providers often plan
without a clear understanding of
student realities, resulting in
student housing that overlook
affordability, accessibility, and
housing security.
Students experience rising
rents, overcrowding, long
commutes, unsafe and
unstable housing that
undermines both student
success and well-being.
Research Reports
nuanced understanding of student housing challenges that manifest as systematic barriers
Explore HOUSE’s published research on all things student housing to advance a
to a holistic post-secondary education.
Student Housing in Mississauga:
SHIMMIR
Municipal Impact Report
December 2025
Discover the latest insights into
living, commuting, and renting as
a student in Mississauga.
SHIMMIR reveals new data on
how low income, high rents
and long commutes shape the
university experience for many
students.
MTH Report
Released 2025
On Illegal Multi-Tenant (Rooming)
Houses in the Village at
York University in 2022
FLASH 2021
Released 2025
On Student Housing in Ontario
HOUSE fills the gap.
We produce rigorous,
community-informed research
on affordability, accessibility,
and systematic barriers;
building a strong evidence
base to plan, design and
build housing solutions that
meets students’ needs.
Our research centres the lived
experiences and housing
challenges often overlooked
in the planning and
development of housing
for students.
Our goals
Better Understanding of Student Housing Realities
By translating lived experiences into student housing data,
insights, and recommendations that are actionable and freely
accessible.
Inform Policy Action
housing policy, planning, and decision-making.
Provide rigorous, student-centred evidence that supports
Advance Better Housing Systems
inclusive, and sustainable for students across English Canada.
Support the development of housing systems that are affordable
Join the Research Team
Our research teams include students, community members, and early-career scholars who contribute to survey design, data collection, qualitative analysis, policy review, data visualization, and community engagement.
Interested in supporting research that informs real policy change?
Submit our Research Volunteer Form and help build the knowledge base that reflects the urgency and impact of the housing crisis on post-secondary students