Let us know what you think about housing affordability by filling out our quick opinion form here.
Affordable housing is one of the biggest problems challenging our communities. With the cost of living and housing increasing, many people find themselves without homes. Many vulnerable communities face the affordable housing crisis—those going to work every day, those who are young, those who are families. They should be able to afford to live where they work, but they are displaced and essentially priced out of their communities. Affordable housing is an issue that needs awareness for change as people are homeless. The alternative is doubling up in small apartments or facing subpar living conditions with their hard-earned money going toward rent. Furthermore, the affordable housing for the economy. There are many reasons why the affordability crisis is an issue on the rise.
We've asked experts on the matter, such as real estate brokers and contractors that build the homes themselves, and this is what they had to say:
"The biggest challenge here is the high demand and limited supply of homes. Prices have gone up quickly, and many young families or first-time buyers struggle to afford homes. There's also a shortage of rental options."
Affordable housing developments, and property migration policies create instability in our communities where many zoning regulations tout no high-density housing. The city encourages developers to include affordable units by offering things like increased density or reduced fees. However, there's only so much that a city council can do by themselves, and we need more help from the other levels of government.
This can change by having the government actively designate funding for affordable housing units, edit zoning regulations to promote multi-units vs single developments, and tax regulations for people who buy and sell housing without direct interest in the community.
The Green Party of Canada emphasizes that housing should be treated as a human right rather than a financial asset. Their strategy includes building deeply affordable housing, stopping real estate speculation, and directly investing in homes that people can afford—especially in urban centres. The Green Party would reintroduce the federal government’s role in building housing and ensure long-term affordability through legal covenants. They plan to close financial loopholes used for money laundering in real estate, remove tax advantages for Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITs), and stop corporations from purchasing single-family homes. Their approach moves away from market-based solutions and focuses on direct public investment, similar to when Canada built thousands of co-ops and public housing units in the past. Their goal is to put people before profits and give young people a fair chance at stable housing.
Meanwhile, the Bloc Québécois takes a regionalized approach. They propose transferring all federal housing funds directly to Quebec without federal conditions, giving the province full autonomy to address its housing needs. They want to align federal programs with Quebec's unique realities and increase social and community housing to 20% of the housing stock. To stop real estate speculation, they suggest stricter limits on property flipping by extending tax exemption waiting periods. They also advocate for supporting first-time buyers—especially young people—through financial assistance and GST exemptions on services related to home buying. Furthermore, they stress the importance of investing in essential infrastructure like water and sewer systems, which are necessary for new housing developments. Their strategy centers on local control, public investment, and structural reforms to ensure housing affordability.
The Liberal Party of Canada appears to be focusing on building more homes and supporting vulnerable groups such as newcomers. Their plans highlight forming partnerships with nonprofits and making better use of government-owned land for affordable housing projects.
We were unable to contact the Conservative Party of Canada to request a comment. The New Democratic Party (NDP) did not respond before the deadline.
We want to hear from you. Share your thoughts on housing affordability and what you think should be done to address the crisis by filling out our opinion form here.