Public opinion survey reveals depths of residents’ concerns about housing crisis

According to a public opinion survey conducted by Ipsos (on behalf of BILD), 90 per cent of people in the GTA agree there is a housing affordability issue, and 72 per cent of agree that there is not enough being done to address it. In addition, approximately half of renters and young people in the GTA say they plan to move out of the province or to the suburbs to buy a home. Such shifts and the loss of these younger demographics would have a significant and dire impact on the GTA’s social and economic landscape.

Availability and affordability

The survey, conducted in April with 1,000 GTA residents, also revealed that 75 per cent are dissatisfied with housing availability and affordability. Factors contributing to the housing shortage are well-identified by residents, with 43 per cent attributing the shortage to high interest rates keeping buyers on the sidelines, resulting in fewer new builds. This is followed by the agreement that it has gotten too expensive to build new homes (39 per cent) and that there is insufficient new housing being built (38 per cent).

Regarding new house developments and NIMBYism, attitudes have shifted when compared to a similar poll from two years ago. Thirty-three per cent of respondents said they are not opposed at all to new housing developments being built close to their current homes (versus 23 per cent opposed in 2022). But still almost half (48 per cent) of people say they oppose a highrise condo being built within half a kilometre of their current residence – and even more concerning is that one third of respondents say they oppose a single-family detached home being built within that same distance. Nevertheless, 72 per cent support expanding municipal boundaries to boost housing supply on the outskirts of the GTA.

Government fees, taxes and charges

After residents were informed that government fees, taxes and charges account for about a quarter of the cost of an average new home, 74 per cent of respondents felt it is not fair to add such a burden on a new-home buyer. The survey also showed that GTA residents hold governments accountable for the housing shortage, with the federal and provincial governments receiving most of the blame.

It is clear from the results of the survey that too many people in the GTA believe that owning an affordable home that meets their needs is increasingly impossible – and 83 per cent of respondents agree that no one group can solve the housing shortage issue on their own. We agree, too. Everyone, including all levels of government, must step up and work together to change the dream of buying a home in the GTA from impossible to possible.