In a significant step toward improving housing accessibility for graduate students, UW launched a new pilot program that guarantees on-campus housing for a select group of newly admitted PhD students (who are not currently or previously enrolled in any type of degree program at Waterloo).

The initiative, developed through a collaboration between Campus Housing and the Office of Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, aims to alleviate housing concerns for students transitioning to Waterloo. Pamela Hurvid, manager of marketing and communications for Campus Housing, shared insight into the project’s inception and objectives.

“We’ve been working with the graduate studies office for several years, looking into what we could do to create more housing opportunities,” Hurvid said. “We identified an opportunity for a small pilot guarantee and decided to focus on newly admitted PhD students.”

These students will be accommodated in the Columbia Lake Village South townhouses, a move Hurvid noted was feasible due to the limited scope of the pilot. “Since the group is small, we were able to move forward quickly without major challenges,” she added. However, while modest in scale, the program carries ambitious long-term goals. Hurvid sees it as a potential recruitment tool, especially for students for whom secure housing is a deciding factor. “We hope that if the pilot is successful, we can promote it earlier in the recruitment cycle and even year-round, to attract top talent who might choose Waterloo because of the housing guarantee.”

For incoming PhD candidates—many of whom are relocating from other regions or countries—knowing they have a place to live can ease the logistical and emotional burdens of their transition, allowing them to focus on their academic and research goals from day one. Moreover, the program could enhance Waterloo’s competitive edge among top-tier institutions by addressing one of the most pressing concerns for graduate students: affordability and availability of housing. If expanded, this initiative could become a cornerstone in the university’s graduate recruitment strategy, reinforcing its commitment to student well-being and academic success.

While no immediate expansion plans were announced, the university is optimistic about the impact of this targeted effort. The pilot will begin this fall term, with the university monitoring its success before considering any future developments or expansions.