Canadians’ dreams of owning a home are turning into nightmares for many, with the country in the midst of a housing crisis. An Abacus Data survey found many Canadians are concerned about not being able to own a home, citing affordability and a lack of supply. The Abacus survey found Canadians have a negative view of ownership, with 64% believing it is risky and financially straining, particularly with non-homeowners (70%). The data revealed 89% of Canadians view housing as unaffordable for most, fueling the feeling of being priced out of the market and suggesting many Canadians no longer believe ownership is attainable. Additionally, 81% believe the dream of homeownership is dead and unattainable for most, particularly among renters (85%)..Survey respondents were asked what factors they considered contribute to the affordability issue, with 39% saying builders and developers prioritizing profit and 38% pointing to high levels of immigration. Also mentioned were construction costs, including the availability and cost of land (37%), a shortage of skilled trade workers (28%), borrowing costs for builders (27%), provincial regulations (23%), and municipal bylaws (21%). .Overall, 63% of Canadians believe high construction costs are the biggest obstacle to building new homes. Additionally, 46% cite lengthy approval processes and red tape, 41% point to a shortage of skilled labour in the construction industry, and 32% highlight zoning restrictions..More than half of Canadians do not believe government at levels are doing enough to address housing issues. Conversely, 23% believe the federal government is doing enough to address affordability, with those planning to vote Liberal in the next election more likely to believe it is addressing housing affordability (49%) compared to those intending to vote Conservative (11%) and NDP (27%). Provincially, 26% of Canadians believe their governments are doing enough and 20% feel their municipal government is taking adequate action..Regardless the level of government, most Canadians do not believe they are giving the housing crisis enough attention. Specifically, 63% feel the federal government, 65% their provincial governments and 69% their municipal governments are not giving sufficient importance to housing affordability. At the federal level, those planning to vote Conservative in the next election are significantly more likely to perceive the government as neglecting housing affordability (71%) compared to Liberal voters (36%) and NDP (65%). .Despite the perceptions created by governments they are all working together on the housing file, 60% of Canadians are skeptical about any effectiveness of the collaborations, with 15% perceiving effective collaboration. Among those doubting the effectiveness, 71% said they will vote for the Conservatives in the next election, compared to 44% for the Liberals and 63% for the NDP. .“Over the past year, Canada’s housing crisis has reached critical levels, prompting widespread attention from politicians nationwide,” wrote Eddie Sheppard of Abacus Data. "(However) there remains a prevailing sense of dissatisfaction among Canadians regarding the government’s response. Many believe that the federal government is failing to adequately address housing affordability, prioritize it effectively and collaborate efficiently with provincial counterparts on this issue.” “Consequently, pessimism persists among Canadians regarding the future of housing accessibility and affordability in the country, with a strong belief that the dream of homeownership in Canada is dead and unattainable.” Methodology The survey was conducted with 1,500 Canadian adults from April 25 and 29 2024. A random sample of panelists were invited to complete the survey from a set of partner panels based on the Lucid exchange platform. These partners are typically double opt-in survey panels, blended to manage out potential skews in the data from a single source.
