Canada is facing a housing affordability crisis that is prompting many to look for alternatives as costs soar across urban centers. According to recent reports, cities such as Vancouver and Toronto now rank among the most expensive places globally, pushing individuals and families out of the market. For locals like Janet Robertson, who was evicted from her long-time Vancouver residence, the search for an affordable rental has led her to Chilliwack, a small town 60 miles east of the city that's now attracting those priced out of urban living.
Robertson noted that after paying just 900 Canadian dollars monthly for her studio apartment for two decades, the skyrocketing prices left her with few options. When she moved to Chilliwack, she found a community previously viewed as rural and isolated is now becoming a refuge for Vancouverites seeking more reasonable living costs.
As voters prepare to head to the polls on April 28, the housing crisis has emerged as a dominant issue among those seeking to elect a new prime minister. With a standard single-family home in Toronto now averaging around 1.4 million Canadian dollars, and 970,000 dollars just a few years prior, many first-time homebuyers feel that property ownership is slipping further out of reach.
It is clear that as Canadians look for viable solutions to this growing crisis, addressing housing affordability will be a key topic in the upcoming elections.
