It appears more Canadians are shying away from the idea of home ownership, spooked at the affordability of a new dwelling.
An EKOS Researcg survey suggests that just over two in five Canadians believe housing in this country is not affordable for them, a finding that cuts almost evenly across income levels and pervades even the hottest housing markets.
The data closely lines up with more formal benchmarks the federal government uses to measure affordability, as well as other data about the cost of housing, whether purchased or rented.
The Trudeau government has promised a national housing strategy to help Canadians find and afford suitable housing, part of a larger strategy to reduce poverty. But the poll suggests Ottawa is also dealing with public fears about affordability.
The EKOS poll found about half of respondents who consider themselves poor or working class believe that the cost of local housing is beyond their means. The rate was 38% and 37%, respectively, with respondents who consider themselves middle or upper class.
Looking at cities, only 6% of respondents in Toronto and 2% in Vancouver said they believe housing was affordable. In Calgary, the number was 11%; in Montreal, 22%
The results of the telephone poll of 5,658 Canadians, conducted between June 1 and 19, are considered accurate to within 1.3 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
