Rental relief a byproduct of new student housing at UVic

New housing on campus at the University of Victoria is helping ease pressure on the region’s rental market.

A residence opened in September, providing 385 single rooms for first-year students. UVic guarantees on-campus housing to help new students acclimate to university life.

A lounge for Indigenous students also opened as part of the multi-stage project, which will add 621 new beds and 162 replacement beds, increasing on-campus housing by 25%.

The Songhees Nation gave UVic permission to use lək̓ʷəŋən names for the new buildings to honour the territory on which the buildings stand.

The first residence, Čeqʷəŋín ʔéʔləŋ (Cheko’nien House), is named after what is now known as Oak Bay, while Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House) is named after a village located in what is now known as Cadboro Bay.

The Chamber has been a vocal advocate for the on-campus housing to help free up rental units for our regional workforce.