Housing crunch for MUN students continues ahead of new school year

Just days before the start of a new school year, students of Memorial University are voicing their concerns over the lack of available housing, which one union official says is likely keeping people away from campus.

Just days before the start of a new school year, students of Memorial University are voicing their concerns over the lack of available housing, which one union official says is likely keeping people away from campus.

"It's very difficult to find the houses. The new students [have] already started approaching me," Shyam Yadav, executive director of external affairs for the university's Graduate Students Union, told CBC News Friday.

"They are really struggling. The rent really goes high."

The wait list for housing on campus was as high as 150 names, MUN's housing director Bruce Belbin said.

He said work has been done to shrink the list, but there are still students without a place to live.

Several students who have secured housing said it took them months to do so. They faced several hurdles.