The government needs to do more than just cap international student numbers to deal with the housing crisis according to the industry.
Currently, there are more than 786,891 international students in the country according to The Department of Education the government is proposing a cap on student numbers that would limit the number of international students starting a course in 2025 to 270,000.
Last year, net overseas migration climbed to record-high levels approaching 550,000, with most ending up in Sydney and Melbourne.
Australia has by far the highest percentage of international students in the world, relative to the total population, with 1 international student per 33.6 people.
The Student Accommodation Council said government data shows that international students occupy less than seven per cent of all rental properties in Australia and they aren’t the only cause of the rental crisis.
Executive Director of the Student Accommodation Council, Torie Brown said the housing crisis in Australia has been developing for years.
“The housing crisis in Australia has been in the making for twenty years,” Ms Brown said.
“International students largely live in CBDs and adjacent to major university campuses, where they favour apartments and purpose-built student accommodation.
“The government’s own analysis has found they are not competing for family homes out in the suburbs.”
She said there are a range of factors that are causing the housing crisis.
“Historically low housing supply, slow planning systems, smaller household sizes and a shift towards people using their spare bedrooms as offices instead of bedrooms are the real reasons behind the housing crisis,” she said.
“We surveyed our members before the beginning of semester two and found there was availability of student accommodation in most capital cities, including good availability in Melbourne.
Ms Brown said that there are other ways that the government could ensure there are enough homes for both students and renters.
“Rather than cutting student numbers dramatically, it would make more sense to help suitable international students book student accommodation beds before they arrive in the country,” she said.
“Then government needs to take a long-term look at the structural supply issues in our country.”
