Politicians believe immigrants are to blame for the housing crisis
But not all experts agree with them.
Canada's real estate market is straining under the pressure of rising home prices and rents. Immigration, high interest rates, rising construction costs and bureaucratic hurdles are contributing to the housing affordability problem.
Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre expressed his position, emphasizing that it is immigration that is putting decisive pressure on the housing market:
"The growth in immigration should not exceed the amount of housing stock we add, the number of doctors we add and the available jobs."
The Liberal government also recognizes that immigration is contributing to the housing crisis. Immigration to Canada has increased markedly, with the government planning to increase the number of permanent residents from 405,000 in 2021 to 500,000 by 2024. Statistics Canada notes record population growth since 1957, 98% driven by immigration.
What do the experts say?
Experts believe that, at a minimum, it is important to distinguish between homes and households. In particular, David Hulchanski, a housing professor, argues that 500,000 immigrants would not require 500,000 homes:
"The 40 million people in Canada don't live in 40 million houses."
Hulchansky said 500,000 immigrants would need different amounts of housing depending on the country, with an average of 204,000 homes in Canada, 233,000 in Germany and 183,000 in Ireland.
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