February 16, 2025

student

Ontario Real Estate says college student financial loans a barrier to house ownership

In accordance to new polling unveiled on September 20th by the Ontario Actual Estate Affiliation (OREA), college student debt continues to significantly impact Ontarians’ means to invest in a home.

Conducted by Abacus Information on behalf of OREA, The Affect of University student Loan Financial debt on Homeownership report discovered that Ontario graduates with personal debt larger than $5,000 concur that their university student financial debt can make it more difficult to preserve up for a house. This condition is forcing some Ontarians to appear for other possibilities in more affordable provinces, with 42% of graduates considering leaving the province for a decreased charge of dwelling and far more attainable housing.

The report discovered that a significant quantity of younger grown ups uncover them selves suspending homeownership, with college student credit card debt cited as the major explanation for this delay. Other life milestones being delayed as a final result of scholar personal debt consist of moving out of the family household, getting married, and starting off a family.

“Student debt is not merely a economical load, it is the largest barrier to the Canadian aspiration of homeownership for lots of younger Ontarians and their people,” reported OREA CEO Tim Hudak. “Our research exhibits that the bodyweight of scholar loans contributes enormously to the housing affordability crisis which, if still left unaddressed, will lead to much less younger Ontario house owners. All concentrations of govt and field need to perform alongside one another to carry affordability house to Ontario graduates.”

Because of to superior housing prices, virtually half of the graduates’ dad and mom surveyed plan to stay in their household dwelling for the future decade, rather than downsizing which will avert far more housing supply from entering the marketplace.

“As a REALTOR®, I have witnessed firsthand the energy of homeownership and the transformative influence it has on communities across the province,” stated OREA President Tania Artenosi. “Student debt casts a shadow more than this aspiration, leaving aspiring buyers caught in between their academic ambitions and the desire for a position to connect with their very own. We require to operate to empower the future generation of homeowners, and that commences with pro-homeownership insurance policies aimed at alleviating the pressures of student personal loan credit card debt.”

Inspite of carrying personal debt, publish-secondary graduates even now have potent aspirations for homeownership, with 75% still expressing a wish to very own residential property. As this kind of, at the very least 80% of graduates support various govt interventions that tackle housing affordability.

Ontario realtors have proposed many recommendations to aid address the housing affordability disaster that young Ontario graduates are struggling with:

  • The Provincial and Federal government need to collaborate to allow graduates to relieve a portion of their OSAP bank loan when they incorporate resources into Canada’s ‘First Home Financial savings Account’ (FHSA).

The Government ought to match the addition of funds dollar-for-greenback. For instance, if a graduate provides $5,000 into the FHSA, the Government will decrease the students’ OSAP loan by $5,000.

  • The Federal government of Ontario should really completely reduce the accumulation of desire on all Provincial student financial loans like loans at this time currently being repaid, which is by now in result for fascination on Federal pupil financial loans.

This policy aligns with the announcement on April 1st, 2023, from the Authorities of Canada, which forever eliminated the accumulation of interest on all Federal student loans which includes loans at this time becoming repaid.

  • The Govt of Ontario should really boost the grace time period for OSAP loan compensation from 6 months to 1 calendar year, making it possible for college students an added 6 months to obtain steady work and conserve money ahead of producing payments.

All Ontario pupils have a interval of 6 months following graduating or leaving full-time scientific tests right before they are necessary to start paying out back again their bank loan.

  • The Federal government of Ontario must permit automated notification to OSAP when graduates file their taxes and get their OSAP tax receipt.

Pursuing the notification, eligible graduates should really quickly be entered into Canada’s ‘Repayment Assistance Plan’ (RAP), getting rid of the load on graduates to re-utilize every 6 months.

  • The Governing administration of Ontario should husband or wife with the Countrywide Student Mortgage Assistance Center to develop an online economic schooling hub that outlines all vital info connected to pupil financial loans.

This ought to consist of data from just about every submit-secondary institution. This would assure that college students/graduates do not pass up crucial data about reimbursement and default processes, financial loan reduction choices, etc.

OREA states that, “… by fostering a supportive surroundings for schooling funding and advocating for insurance policies that facilitate housing affordability, Ontario can split down the limitations that at this time stand between young Ontario graduates and their homeownership desires.”

Interior design student helps plant shop owner grow new business | WMU News

Contact: Erin Flynn
June 10, 2022
Interior design student helps plant shop owner grow new business | WMU News

Matt Collins, an interior design student from Mendon, Michigan, was lead designer for the new MJ Home store in downtown Kalamazoo.

KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A new business has sprouted up in downtown Kalamazoo, and a Western Michigan University student helped to cultivate its aesthetic.

"We want people to come in and feel peaceful and take a moment to breathe and relax, and to just really… feel warm and cozy," says Dianna Nance, owner of the new boutique home store MJ Home—sister store to Mason Jar Plant Shop. She tapped Matt Collins, a first-year interior design student, to help her make that vision a reality.

The seeds of the partnership were planted on social media. Collins worked in a restaurant next door to the plant shop and would often wander over on his breaks.

A display in a home furnishings store.

Collins designed displays to make shoppers feel at home.

"It was my little escape to go in there and be surrounded by all the plants," he says. One day he bought a plant and posted a picture of it on Instagram. "Dianna noticed it and said, 'I really like your living space, your style, how you stage things. I'm looking to open up a furniture and home decor shop, and I noticed you're an interior design student. I was wondering if you could help me design a concept for it.'"

Collins cracked open his textbooks and got to work, inspired by bohemian style. He also tapped into some of his connections from class and contacted two designers in Sweden to go over his ideas. Everything from color schemes to customer circulation and customer movement played a part in his design.

"He's brought a lot to the store," says Nance. "He's been great to work with, and he actually helped from the beginning with installing flooring and painting, all of that."

Collins had the chance to see his work pay off at the shop's grand opening June 1.

"When I see the reactions and how people interact with the space, something I created and helped create as a team, I love that. I feed off of that."

Nance even gave Collins space around the shop to show off his design sketches during Art Hop, a monthly event where downtown businesses display local artwork.

Design sketches laid out on a table.

Nance displayed some of Collins' sketches throughout the shop.

"I think (Western's program) is amazing, and I'm hopeful that this really is beneficial to not only him but the whole organization," Nance says. "I was in health care for 25 years, and I would hire people and say, 'I want you to build your resume here. I want you to do what it's going to take to get you to that next level. I hope that this is something that helps him along that journey and maybe will help others as well."

DESIGNING A FULFILLING FUTURE

Collins is a creative at heart.

"Growing up, interior design is something I was always involved in. In high school I would doodle in my notebook floor plans for my dream house, and I didn't know at the time that was a schematic design and part of the design process," he says. "My brother and my dad are very hands-on, mechanically and building. I was always in the background observing."

He wasn't sure how that passion might translate into a career, however, and initially enrolled at Western as an education major. It was a logical fit—Collins had done some substitute teaching—but as he took classes, he still felt something was missing. A conversation with Dr. Suzan Smith-Ayers, chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, illuminated a new path forward.

"We were talking about commitments in class, and it didn't seem fair to my future students that I'm not 100% into it," Collins says. Smith-Ayers mentioned the interior design program, which was also part of her department. "I always had that 'what if.' What if I never pursued (this passion)? And I decided to take a leap of faith, saying, 'I've got to do this.' And I have not looked back since. It never feels like a chore to study or anything. I would do it all day long if I could. I just love it."

The opportunity to design for MJ Home has only solidified his chosen path.

"To be in my first year in a design program and then have this project, it really did open my eyes. These are real experiences, real opportunities that are going to have a tremendous impact when it comes time to find career options," says Collins.

"I'm so appreciative of my professors—Mary Beth Janssen, Kim Buchholz, Dr. Ayers—for being extremely supportive, as well as some of the talented students in the design program who I've gotten to know. They all add to this journey of growth with my career path and education. And I'm especially appreciative of Dianna for allowing me to do this, because it really feels like I can feel, think and see clearly what's ahead."

For more WMU news, arts and events, visit WMU News online.