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LETTERS: International students benefit P.E.I. and are not sole cause of housing prices

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS BENEFIT P.E.I.

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I am responding to the recent conversation about international students on Prince Edward Island. I am an international student staying here at this time so this is the issue that cuts to the core.

Most of the recent conversations around housing and rising housing prices and living costs have a mention of international students. However, while these are legitimate worries, it is unfair to hold students who came here to study and contribute as the lone group responsible.

International students must invest in a lot before they can study in P.E.I. We offer much higher tuition than domestic students and contribute to the local economy by paying for rent, groceries, transportation and part-time employment. Most of us work in restaurants, retail stores and customer service jobs that depend greatly on the student workers. Some businesses could not even fill these roles without foreign students.

Housing in P.E.I. is one such complex societal issue and cannot simply be assigned to one group of individuals. Growth, scarce supply and increased demand are factors. There are also practical solutions rather than getting into blaming, such as designing better affordable housing and infrastructure.

The reason many international students choose P.E.I. is because it is perceived as welcoming and safe. We aren’t looking for opportunity; we need to learn and grow and give back to the province that has provided us an education. International students should belong in the future of P.E.I., not to be seen as a liability.

HOUSING INFO HARD TO ACCESS

The housing problem in Prince Edward Island is getting worse, especially for international students. Many students come to Prince Edward Island to study, but it can be difficult for them to find a stable and affordable place to live. From my experience as a student, it is often harder for international students to find suitable housing.

When looking for accommodation, I noticed that local students can sometimes find cheaper housing. A local friend of mine found a place to rent for about 650 Canadian dollars through personal connections. In contrast, similar housing I found online was around 840 Canadian dollars. For students who already pay high tuition and living expenses, this difference can have a significant impact.

Another problem is that access to housing information is not always equal. At first, I only knew how to look for housing through the Chinese community and did not know how to contact local landlords or find other rental options. Later, I saw a post from the Chinese Students’ Association at my school that shared more housing information. This experience showed me how difficult it can be for international students to access local housing information.

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Students should not struggle this much to find a place to live while studying. I hope local communities, universities and policymakers will pay more attention to the housing challenges faced by international students and work to make housing more affordable.

WAR SHOULD NEVER BE SOLUTION

I am writing in response to the current war going on with the U.S and Iran. Waking up to the news of the U.S. strikes on Iran fills me with overwhelming concern. Regardless of the cause, war should never be the solution. If armed conflict is treated as an acceptable response, then what differentiates current leaders from past leaders that committed evil acts? Have we not learned from people of the past that started wars to gain power?

At the end of the day, it is innocent people who lose their lives because of poor decisions made by their government leaders. It divides people who are not even encouraging warfare. Moreover, it creates racism and people are starting to normalize it. For example, in 2025 Ukrainian athlete Yevhen Melnik refused to pose for a podium photo with a Russian competitor. He was only 13 years old and he already had some sort of hatred towards his Russian rival even though it was not the Russian kid’s fault for the war in Ukraine.

Now, with the U.S and Iran openly at war, I fear it is going to create even more division among people. As humans, we must resist the actions of governments that strip away our voice in the matter.

Chittish Harvish Boodhun,

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