News & Insights

Our new pan-Canadian housing affordability report reveals a massive gap for people starting out in the housing market between their full-time earnings and average home prices in many parts of the country. While affordability has eroded in Alberta compared to earlier decades, the province remains ‘relatively’ affordable compared to the other three most populous provinces.

After decades of relentless increases, recent dips in home prices have captured attention across Canada. How we judge stalling or falling home prices in this moment is critical. Our new report shows the massive gap that still remains for people starting out in the housing market between their full-time earnings and average home prices.

With inflation on the rise, Canadians of all ages may want to tune out the latest warning from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres that “We are on a highway to climate hell with our foot on the accelerator.” The prospect of paying for our pollution as part of the fight against climate change can feel like one more hand in our pocket, reaching for a wallet that is already running on empty.

Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy clearly wasn’t much concerned with generational fairness in his recent Fall Economic statement. His prescriptions for the province at a time of increased economic uncertainty fall well short of following the generational golden rule: to treat other generations as you would want your generation to be treated.

New polling by Research Co. for Generation Squeeze shows that a majority of Canadians are now ready for governments to soften the sharpest edges of the home ownership tax shelter.

We might all agree that Canada needs to build more homes. But it’s clear from Gen Squeeze’s comprehensive housing policy solutions framework that supply isn’t a silver bullet. Increasing the number of homes can help push down prices – but decreasing demand can have the same effect. Supply and demand are two sides of the same coin, but we tend to discuss the former as a potential solution far more than the latter.

If you want Canada to work fairly for all generations, here are five key take-aways from the Government of Canada’s Fall Economic Statement, released on November 3, 2022.

Amid all the talk of inflation these days, it’s easy to forget that a generation of young Canadians are shut out of home ownership in part because Statistics Canada failed to sound the alarm over rising housing prices decades ago.

Ontario’s Conservative government released the "More Homes Built Faster Act" on October 25, 2022. If passed, the legislation will aim to expand the supply of housing in the province by speeding up construction, reducing obstacles and fees for development, and increasing density near transit and in residential areas. This includes streamlining new affordable and rental housing developments. The proposed actions have merit but don't go far enough to fix record housing unaffordability. Read our analysis to find out what's missing from the plan.