Harbord and College-McCaul Student Residences

Demand for student housing continues to exceed supply, particularly for graduate students and upper-year undergraduates. Housing market challenges across Toronto have made it increasingly difficult for students to find suitable accommodation close to campus, creating growing pressure on the university’s housing system.

The scale of the challenge is significant. With more than 71,000 students at the St. George campus, the university currently has only 7,788 residence beds available. Existing housing serves approximately 15 per cent of undergraduate students and just 2.4 per cent of graduate students. To better understand future demand, the university commissioned one of the largest student housing consultations it had ever undertaken in 2024. The study concluded that the university needs to add from 1,800 to 3,700 beds for the St. George Campus to continue meeting its first-year residence guarantee and growing demand from upper year and graduate students.

To better understand future demand, the university commissioned one of the largest student housing consultations it had ever undertaken in 2024. The study concluded that the university needs to add from 1,800 to 3,700 beds for the St. George Campus to continue meeting its first-year residence guarantee and growing demand from upper year and graduate students.

Build More Housing is a university-led initiative to create new purpose-built student residences on the St. George campus through a strategic partnership model. As a key part of the university’s Four Corners Strategy, it brings together the university’s vision, student housing expertise and long-term stewardship with the development and construction experience of a qualified partner to expand housing opportunities and support future generations of students.

The new residences will help more students live close to campus, reducing housing stress and commute times while strengthening access to academic, social and wellness supports.

A comprehensive housing demand study commissioned by the university in 2024 found that students increasingly prefer housing that balances privacy, independence, community and affordability. The new residences are being designed with these preferences in mind and will include a mix of apartment-style and suite-style accommodations, study spaces, communal kitchens, social lounges, outdoor amenity areas, and wellness-oriented environments.

The university believes that access to housing is closely linked to academic success, student well-being and retention. By expanding housing capacity, the initiative will provide more students with the opportunity to participate fully in campus life and benefit from living within a supportive residential community.

The Harbord and College student residences will deliver approximately 1,200 new student residence beds across two purpose-built developments:

• Harbord Street – approximately 300 beds
• College Street – approximately 900 beds

In addition to new beds, both developments will include study areas, social lounges, wellness-focused amenities, bicycle facilities and ground-floor community-serving uses designed to support student life and contribute positively to the surrounding neighbourhoods.

The two residences are designed to serve different student populations and housing needs.

The residence on Harbord Street is primarily intended for graduate students. The building will feature apartment-style accommodations designed to support focused study, wellbeing and community-building among graduate students.

The residence on College Street is intended primarily for undergraduate students, including first-year and upper-year students. The building will offer a mix of suite-style and apartment-style accommodations alongside vibrant social and study spaces designed to encourage community, collaboration and student engagement.

Together, the two residences respond directly to student feedback and identified gaps in the university’s current housing portfolio.

Student feedback has played a central role in shaping the project.

In 2024, the University commissioned a comprehensive student housing consultation and surveys focused on residential preferences, housing demand, affordability, unit design, amenities and community expectations.

The research found strong demand for private or semi-private bedrooms, apartment-style living, access to kitchen facilities, study areas, wellness amenities and opportunities for social connection.

These findings directly informed the proposed designs, including the mix of apartment and suite-style units, communal study spaces, social lounges, outdoor amenity areas, wellness-focused programming spaces and flexible common areas.

Student consultation will continue throughout the design process to ensure the residences remain responsive to evolving student needs.

Yes. While the residences are being developed through a partnership model, the university will oversee 100% of the student life experience.

The sites were identified through a comprehensive review of development opportunities across the St. George campus.

Sites were assessed using a range of criteria, including proximity to campus, access to transit, planning considerations, existing building conditions, heritage considerations, development readiness and suitability for student housing.

Through this process, the Harbord Street and College Street locations emerged as two of the strongest opportunities for delivering new student housing in the near term.

The Harbord site had already undergone significant planning work and had been held for a future graduate residence. The College Street site was identified as a strategic opportunity to provide housing at a prominent gateway location to the St. George campus.

Both residences are being designed to meet or exceed the university’s sustainability requirements and support U of T’s long-term climate goals.

The buildings are targeting LEED Gold performance standards and will be designed to meet the Toronto Green Standard Version 5 Tier 1 requirements.

The projects will also be designed to align with the university’s broader commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and achieving a climate-positive future.

Both residences will meet or exceed the university’s accessibility standards.

The university recognizes that construction activity can create disruptions and is committed to minimizing impacts on students, staff, neighbours, local businesses and nearby community facilities.

Plans will be developed for both construction sites and the university will engage with community stakeholders throughout the construction process.

The proposed residence at Harbord Street has been designed with careful consideration for its location within the Huron-Sussex neighbourhood and its relationship to nearby residents, university facilities and community spaces.

Yes, there will be opportunities for feedback from students, faculty and staff, as well inputs from the broader university and Toronto community to inform and ask questions throughout the project development and construction phases.