This report was published by the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance.

HERE’S HOW THE AUTHORS DESCRIBE THIS REPORT:

Every year, the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) publishes Habitats: Students in their Municipalities, where undergraduate students from our nine member institutions can share their successes and challenges within their communities. It includes student-written case studies focusing on a wide range of topics, from student advocacy to the permeating effects of inflation.

The articles in this year’s edition of Habitats explore housing, food insecurity, mental health, and student-community relationships. The authors discuss the prevalent themes of cost of living, affordability, accessibility, and advocacy, highlighting students’ distinct experiences.

Habitats offers policymakers, politicians, students, and administrators insight into student perspectives on issues relevant to them and their communities. It is our hope that sharing these perspectives with stakeholders will contribute to building meaningful and lasting partnerships between students and their broader municipal communities. The authors have demonstrated the importance of student voices in these conversations, and as we navigate the impacts of the evolving economy, it is more necessary than ever that we listen.