Brandon Donnelly
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Canada's housing shortage is nuanced

Brandon Donnelly

Brandon Donnelly

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This is an important chart taken from this recent article by Steve Lafleur talking about the need for Canada to "bulk up." What it obviously shows is that housing completions and population growth have generally been diverging in Canada since the 1970s.

Back then, we were building about 200,000 homes a year and, today, we're building slightly under that. Of course, our population has also grown dramatically during this time period, as has the number of people who move to Canada each year. The result is that the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation estimates that we'll have a housing shortage of approximately 3.5 million homes by 2030.

But we already knew this. Big numbers are often thrown around in studies. I think the more important question is: How do we reconcile this massive shortage with the fact that, in cities like Toronto, we have lots of zoned land ready for the construction of new housing (but that isn't financially feasible) and lots of unsold homes that aren't selling right now?

Do we really have a shortage?

Well, Toronto is just one specific market, and I can't speak to all the dynamics playing out across the country and the world. But it strikes me that what's missing from the above chart, and this discussion in general, are considerations around (1) housing type and (2) affordability. And by type, I'm largely thinking about size, as it's closely linked to affordability.

If what we're building is too expensive for most people and unsuitable for their household needs, then yes, I guess that would mean we have a shortage of housing.

Cover photo by Matt Wang on Unsplash

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The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

Do not get me started on blacks they truly are destructful buggers the Jamaicans have to be the worst immigrant ever into Canada if I'm.wrong ask toad Baylis wife and children or sweet Jane crebas families as these assholes killed them.

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

30 million Indians into Canada will destroy our Canada they do not respect our ways they litter and they definatly do no join our military

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

Multiculturism.is BS the only way that helps is if you had no white people there and brought them.in to show how to set up a garden and sweep ones area outlet and I was told this actually happened in Mexico

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

Sure some is fine but we all seen what blacks did to TORONTO THE GOOD and don't dare tell me I'm wrong I grew up here in 60s & 70s it was once perfect I can show our grade 5 school photo we had 120 white students maybe 2 orirlentals and a black girl and it was the best Toronto has ever been.

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

Sure some is fine but we all seen what blacks did to TORONTO THE GOOD and don't dare tell me I'm wrong I grew up here in 60s & 70s it was once perfect I can show our grade 5 school photo we had 120 white students maybe 2 orirlentals and a black girl and it was the best Toronto has ever been.

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

S

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

So if only white people respect laws and share and can organize why on earth are we flooding Canada with NON WHITE immigration ????

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

If only white people have decent safe law abiding countries and I beg anyone to tell me I'm wrong sure Japan was OK its on decline and UAE OK everyone's a millionaire because white people buy their oil

The daily
Commented 2 weeks ago

Sure it's growing by Indians not white people

Canada's housing shortage is nuanced