Institutional Investment Builds Momentum in Western Canada’s Student Housing Market
- ClearView Insider
- Nov 10
- 1 min read
Developers and investors are accelerating off-campus student housing projects across Western Canada — addressing one of the country’s most undersupplied real estate asset classes.
In Metro Vancouver, Forum Asset Management is moving into a leadership position in the student housing sector. Following its $1.7 billion acquisition of Alignvest Student Housing — a 17-property portfolio comprising more than 7,150 beds — Forum has advanced new projects in the region, including a 24-storey, 485-unit proposal near Capilano University in North Vancouver, and plans for additional developments across the Lower Mainland. The firm also received $100 million in investment support from Brookfield Asset Management, underscoring growing institutional confidence in the sector.
This west-coast momentum parallels activity in Calgary, where Harrison Street — part of a global platform managing approximately US$55 billion — continues to expand its Canadian portfolio through its Alternative Real Estate Fund. In the city’s University District, the upcoming Block 22 project will deliver 645 beds across 322 units, built to exceed national energy standards by 40% and targeting completion for the 2027–28 academic year.
Together, Metro Vancouver and Calgary illustrate how institutional capital is reshaping the student housing landscape across Western Canada — driven by growing enrollment, evolving policy, and investor appetite for amenity-rich, transit-connected accommodation.