Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown revealed that he recently received a troubling report from the city's bylaw department, which found over two dozen international students crammed living in a single basement apartment. 

In a recent interview with CityNews, Brown was asked about his feelings on the federal government's temporary cap on the number of international student permit applicants over the next two years. 

"The program is broken. Right now, we see international students being taken advantage of, living in horrendous conditions, and it has essentially become an ATM for academic institutions," the mayor responded. 

"We need to align this international student program with available housing we have. Just a few days ago in Brampton, I got a report from by-law where they found 25 students living in a single basement apartment." 

Canada considering cap on international students amid housing shortage https://t.co/AyfM8mVBKM

— blogTO (@blogTO) January 15, 2024

At a Brampton Committee of Council meeting, Brown also revealed that an estimated 100,000 residents could be living in illegal rental units in the city. 

"People deserve better than that. It's predatory and greedy," one Reddit user wrote in response to the report. 

The shocking revelation quickly sparked polarizing discussions online regarding the GTA's housing shortage and Brampton's recently halted Residential Rental Licensing pilot program (RRL). 

The controversial program, which launched on Jan. 1, 2024, applied to five wards in Brampton and required the owner and/or landlord of every rental property with up to four residential units to obtain a licence. 

According to the City, the program was aimed at addressing the illegal rental units and spaces that have virtually become synonymous with housing in Brampton. 

Video goes viral after group finds international student sleeping under Toronto bridge https://t.co/znvpIofoUU #Toronto

— blogTO (@blogTO) July 26, 2023

Units within the applicable wards were subject to random inspections and penalties for non-compliance. Following heated backlash — including a petition against the program that garnered over 7,000 signatures — the City suspended applications to streamline its intake process. 

Concerns raised through the petition included the financial burden on landlords, challenges in document preparation, conflict with the Residential Tenancies Act, as well as new homebuyers being discouraged from purchasing in Brampton. 

"We wish to draw attention to the fact that such an economic burden may lead to a reconsideration by landlords in renting out their basements, exacerbating the existing housing crisis in Brampton," the petition reads. 

Someone in Brampton is renting out a single bed in the middle of a kitchen https://t.co/0PA2caZ2h4

— blogTO (@blogTO) January 25, 2024

The updated program refinements include removing the requirement for the criminal record check, accepting the property tax bill as proof of ownership, and not requiring condominium apartments or condominium townhouses to obtain a business licence.

The City also announced that it would be streamlining the business licence requirements for Additional Residental Units (ARUs), reviewing the requirements for inspections, and improving the online application process. 

"The impact is counterintuitive to the prevailing housing shortage in Canada, with a need for increased rental options to meet the growing population's demands," the petition noted. 

On Jan. 22, Canada's Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Marc Miller, announced that the federal government would be setting an intake cap on international student permit applications to stabilize new growth for a period of two years. 

For 2024, the cap is expected to result in approximately 360,000 approved study permits, representing a decrease of 35 per cent from 2023. The number of new study applications that will be accepted in 2025 will be re-assessed at the end of this year. 

Canada doubles financial requirements and cuts work hours for international students 👀 https://t.co/5p2MqRIakK #Canada #Finance #InternationalStudents #Students #PostSecondary #University #School

— blogTO (@blogTO) December 7, 2023

"International students enrich our communities and are a critical part of Canada's social, cultural and economic fabric. In recent years, the integrity of the international student system has been threatened," a release from the federal government reads. 

"Some institutions have significantly increased their intakes to drive revenues, and more students have been arriving in Canada without the proper supports they need to succeed. Rapid increases in the number of international students arriving in Canada also puts pressure on housing, health care and other services."