Driven by strategic commitments to student experience and success, and to address a growing shortage of housing in the communities that it serves, Niagara College will triple its on-campus housing over the next four years, adding new living spaces for approximately 1,000 students at its campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Enhancement and expansion of on-campus housing is a key element of the college’s newly adopted master plan, which will see transformational capital investments and developments at its Niagara-based campuses over the next decade or more. In addition to new residence buildings, the plan also includes renovations and improvements of existing on-campus residences to expand capacity and enhance student experience.

“As more and more students from across Ontario and around the world are drawn to Niagara College, we recognize the need to expand capacity and options for on-campus living,” said Niagara College President Sean Kennedy. “Our plans support the key priorities in our Strategic Plan and reflect our enrolment growth and the evolving needs and expectations of our students. We also know that a significant expansion of on-campus housing for our students will help to address the urgent need for affordable housing across Niagara.”

As the College welcomes students who increasingly come from different backgrounds, age groups and life experiences, the College will explore residence options that are affordable and reflect and support a more diverse college community. The College hopes to break ground on new residences at the Welland Campus and Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake in the new year.

“Our timelines are aggressive and reflect the urgent need for more housing for students and the broader community,” said Kennedy. “We also remain committed to working with private and public partners in Niagara to explore additional housing solutions.”

Niagara College currently has on-campus residences that accommodate 228 students at the Welland Campus and 200 students at the Daniel J. Patterson Campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Niagara College has a full-time enrolment of more than 10,000 students from over 95 countries, who study in 130 diploma, certificate and bachelor degree programs at specialized campuses in Welland and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara College is also involved in educational projects and partnerships around the world and is consistently ranked among Canada’s top 10 colleges for research funding. Learn more at niagaracollege.ca.