Canadians aren’t happy about rising housing costs

A new poll shows that Canadians are getting tired of soaring housing prices – and the majority want the government to do something about it

Canadians are getting tired of the high cost of housing – and the majority want the government to do something about it, according to a new poll.

The survey, conducted by Angus Reid Institute, found that nearly half of respondents said that the cost of housing in their neighbourhoods was either high or unreasonably high, according to a Vancouver Sun report.

And 66% of respondents said they want to see the government do more to bring soaring real estate prices under control. In British Columbia, home of Canada’s hottest housing market, that number rises to 74%.

Toronto and Vancouver saw the greatest percentage of respondents who said housing costs were too high. In Vancouver, where the average home price is over $1 million, 70% of respondents said housing costs were unreasonably high. In Toronto, where the average price is $630,000, 46% thought housing was unreasonably high.

But it’s not just Toronto and Vancouver where residents are upset about housing costs; most of Canada’s urban centres saw dissatisfaction, according to the Sun. More than 45% of respondents in Edmonton, Calgary, Winnipeg, Montral and Halifax said that the cost of a home is either high or unreasonably high, the survey found.