In 2025, Columbia Lake Village (CLV) raised the rent by 9%, a total around $1000/year. In 2026, they are doing it again. This is a total of 20%, or $2000/year. Student funding has not kept pace. This was one year after Campus Housing left the board that oversees rental control.

This increase not only affects me but also hundreds of other students who rely on affordable housing to support their continued education at the University of Waterloo. With tuition and other living expenses already being a significant financial burden, this additional rise in rent is crippling.

This is on top of reducing maintenance, lack of AC, lack of snow clearing, contract restrictions, the inability to transfer leases to your spouse, and many other issues. Campus Housing has, until now, not listened to these issues,

Surviving as a student should never require people to go without basic necessities. Some tenants are putting 60%+ of their income towards rent. Others are cutting back on essentials, taking on extra work, or considering leaving the community entirely. With the upcoming changes to tuition, the University of Waterloo is becoming unaffordable for those who work for it.

Therefore, we, the undersigned, call upon the University of Waterloo, its senate, Campus Housing, and any affiliated organizations or individuals to:

1. Perform a review of recent rent increases and their impact on current tenants,
2. Ensure there is transparency in all future Campus Housing decisions,
3. Increase dialogue between Campus Housing and Tenants, and
4. Roll back the recent rent increase.

This petition will be shared with:

• The Local Ward Councillor,
• Campus Housing,
• University Organizations and Student Groups,
• Community and Housing Advocacy Organizations,
• Any other organizations that may be of-interest.