As you make your transition into post-secondary, you may have to locate housing during your time. There are different options to look into regarding safe and affordable student housing or renting options which are outlined below.
Campus residence/student housing (Indigenous Student Services Centre, 2024):
- Allows you to live right on campus with the benefit of being close to all your classes. You also may have the option to have meal plans (depending on your campus) included in the cost. For more information, please connect with your campus residence or Indigenous student services for assistance
- Note: You may want to start the process sooner rather than later. There may be limited availability and spots gets reserved quickly amongst first year students
Off-campus housing (Indigenous Student Services Centre, 2024):
- This can consist of renting an apartment, townhouse, house, or a room with different students
- For example, searching rentals on websites such as Kijiji would be a good start
- Please be aware of rental scams when searching for a place to rent. Please review the “housing” section for more information found in the resource section
- Have a look at the bulletin boards on the walls around campus (landlords may post their rentals with information and pictures)
- Note: Remember to give yourself enough time to find housing in advance to the start of your semester
If you require assistance or want more information on housing options in your area, here are suggestive search terms:
- “Aboriginal Housing Support Centre in my area”
- “Indigenous housing supports or services in my area”
For further assistance on renting, housing supports, and services available, please reach out to your Indigenous student services on campus. They will be able to provide local housing services and affordable housing programming available to you.
Campus spotlight
To learn more about these resources at McMaster University, please review our resource section found near the end of this toolkit.
McMaster University – Available on their website, McMaster provides students with helpful resources when choosing their accommodations. Even though some of the content is targeted toward McMaster students, the resources and information are important tools that can still be applied.
- House Hunting: provides helpful tips and best practices when choosing accommodations off campus
- Rental Housing Law: highlights important information about your rights, lease agreements, and the renting housing laws in Ontario
- Money Matters: provides helpful information regarding rental payments, and deposit payments related to housing
- Housing Scams: provides tips and best practices when searching for accommodations off campus to reduce your chances of encountering frauds and scams
Community resources
To learn more about these community resources, please visit the resource section found near the end of this toolkit.
Ontario Federation Indigenous Friendship Centres (OFIFC): The Friendship Centre vision is to improve the quality of life for Indigenous people living in an urban environment by supporting self-determined activities which encourage equal access to and participation in Canadian society and which respect Indigenous cultural distinctiveness.
Ontario Aboriginal Housing Services (OAHS): Offers a range of housing rental units in rural and urban areas of Ontario for self-identifying First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people as well as non-Indigenous people.
If you will be sharing a space with roommates during your time in post-secondary, please review our CICMH resources, “How to Get Along with Your Roommate” and “Roommate Agreement Template”. These resources mentioned above can be found in the resource section at the end of this toolkit.
