New survey reveals how Canadians feel about various housing policies

Roughly three in five Canadians support decreasing the number of immigrants coming into the country until housing becomes more affordable, according to a new national survey.

The survey was conducted by Canadian research company Nanos for CTV News. It asked Canadians about their views on housing, including how they feel about giving incentives to private developers to build new properties, whether they oppose building housing on green spaces, and their thoughts on reducing the number of immigrants coming into Canada until affordable housing becomes more readily available.

Here are some of the key findings of the random survey of 1,044 Canadian adults.

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THREE IN FIVE CANADIANS SUPPORT REDUCING NUMBER OF NEWCOMERS UNTIL HOUSING BECOMES MORE AFFORDABLE

The federal government plans to welcome another 500,000 people per year by 2025 in hopes of addressing labour shortages and counterbalancing the country’s aging demographic, but some have questioned whether the country is welcoming too many newcomers at a time when the country is facing an ongoing affordability crisis.

According to the poll results, three in five Canadians support, or somewhat support, decreasing the number of immigrants coming into Canada until there is more affordable housing.

Of the provinces, the Prairies are in highest support, at 65 per cent, and B.C. is in lowest support of this, at 52 per cent.

These numbers come on the heels of comments made by Housing Minister Sean Fraser, who suggested that a cap on the number of international students permitted to study in the country is one of, but not the only, solution the federal government is discussing when it comes to addressing housing affordability and rental availability.

MOST CANADIANS SURVEYED ARE AGAINST BUILDING ON LAND SET ASIDE AS GREEN SPACES

Survey participants were also asked how they feel about building new housing on land that is currently set aside for green spaces.

The poll results revealed that 64 per cent of Canadians are opposed to building new housing properties on green spaces, while 18 per cent said they are somewhat opposed to this.

Of this group, more women (87 per cent) than men (77 per cent) said they are opposed to building over green spaces.

Meanwhile, the highest support for this was found among participants in the Prairies, at 19.1 per cent.

MAJORITY OF CANADIANS SUPPORT TAX INCENTIVES TO BUILD RENTALS

When asked how they felt about governments giving tax incentives to private developers to build new rental units, 20 per cent said they are in support, while 35 per cent said they somewhat support this.

This support is highest in B.C, at 61 per cent, followed by 60 per cent in Quebec, and among older Canadians, aged 55 or older, at 55 per cent.

However, when asked how they felt about the government giving tax incentives to private developers to build new homes, 35 per cent of Canadians are opposed, and 23 per cent are somewhat opposed.

About 65 per cent of those surveyed in the Prairies were not in support, followed by 62 per cent of Ontarians.

METHODOLOGY

Nanos conducted an RDD dual frame (land-and cell-lines) hybrid telephone and online random survey of 1,044 Canadian adults between Sept. 2 and Sept. 4 as part of an omnibus survey.

The margin of error for this survey is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.