A new poll finds Canadians rank affordable housing as one of the top issues facing the country, with tight supply, inflation and discrimination worsening sentiment.
The data, released by Habitat for Humanity Canada, reveal the prospect of home ownership, the lack of housing supply and the rising cost of living.
“This survey underscores how deeply concerned Canadians are about their housing situation and future as affordable housing becomes increasingly out of reach,” said Julia Deans, president and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Canada, in a press release. . “To address these growing concerns and make affordable housing and homeownership a reality for all Canadians, we need a comprehensive approach from nonprofits, businesses, individuals and all levels of government.
The vast majority of Canadians surveyed (96%) say their cost of living has increased in the last year, and 78% say they need to limit their spending budget on food, transportation and debt repayment.
Among landlords and renters, 40% of Canadians surveyed say they are worried about paying their mortgage or rent in the coming year, and a quarter (27%) feel generally pessimistic about the country’s housing problems.
The survey results also decomposed different perspectives by age demographics. Generation Z and millennials, for example, are more than twice as likely to worry about paying their rent or mortgage as baby boomers. Canadians aged 26-34 (Millennials) were the most pessimistic about housing sentiment, more than Generation Z, Generation X and boomers.
The findings also suggest that the lack of housing supply is the top concern when it comes to the affordability crisis, with 90 percent of Canadians surveyed believing that the shortage of affordable housing is the top issue.
But the findings indicate that another problem is adding to the crisis: discrimination.
The survey indicates that one in 10 prospective buyers or tenants have faced racism, sexism or various forms of discrimination when looking for a home. According to the findings, BIPOC Canadians were more than twice as likely (18%) as non-BIPOC Canadians (8%) to have experienced some degree of discrimination when housing options were considered.
Some discrimination, according to the results, is rooted in an acronym: “NIMBY”. Stands for “Not In My Back Yard” – a term employed for neighborhoods that reject affordable unit development in their area.
The survey says that more than half of Canadians (54%) believe NIMBYism is the biggest obstacle to increasing the supply of affordable housing. 71% of Canadians agree with the statement that “people are concerned about the impact of affordable housing on their property value and their neighborhood,” the survey says.
Despite this soured feeling, Deans thinks there’s still reason for hope.
“In our work, we see firsthand how access to stable housing transforms the future and fosters resilience across generations,” said Deans. “We must act now and we must act together to remove systemic barriers and create lasting solutions to achieve affordable housing for all.
