Canadians advocate for a reduction in immigration to address housing challenges, according to findings from in-house focus groups conducted by the Privy Council Office, says Blacklock's Reporter.Participants expressed support for lowering immigration quotas temporarily as a means to "alleviate demand for housing."Quoting from the Privy Council report, it was revealed that all participants acknowledged Canada's current housing crisis. Furthermore, when asked about significant challenges related to housing, suggestions included building more homes, assisting first-time homebuyers, lowering interest rates and temporarily reducing immigration rates.Last year, Canada admitted 471,550 immigrants, along with 982,880 foreign students and 766,520 temporary foreign workers. Focus group members suggested that cabinet should consider temporarily lowering immigration rates to mitigate housing demand.The research, commissioned under an $814,741 contract with The Strategic Counsel, collected data from focus groups nationwide.The report also delved into public opinion regarding a proposal by Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre to withhold subsidies from municipalities failing to increase building permits for new home construction by 15% annually. Results indicated mixed views on imposing consequences for municipalities, with some participants advocating for accountability while others recognized the unique challenges faced by each community.Despite an annual decrease in housing starts and a 25% drop in new construction of single-detached homes nationwide, Canada aims to achieve more than 741,000 new housing starts annually by 2030 to meet affordability targets. Bob Dugan, chief economist at Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, expressed skepticism about attaining this ambitious goal given the current environment.
