The dispute between the City of Toronto and the provincial government over the size of Toronto’s council hasn’t left much room for other conversations as municipal elections loom. But The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and the Toronto Real Estate Board (TREB) have come together to try and bring some attention to local housing issues.
“Residents of the GTA are concerned about housing affordability and availability,” says Dave Wilkes, president and CEO, BILD GTA. “People are concerned about where young families and first-time home buyers will live, or if they will be able to afford to live in the GTA at all.”
An Ipsos poll conducted for the two organizations found that GTA residents believe dealing with the cost of housing and infrastructure are just as important as addressing crime. Almost 40 per cent say that the cost of housing is among their top-three election issues, statistically tied with crime and infrastructure.
The cost of housing is an especially important election issue among millennials (48 per cent of millennials vs 42 per cent of those aged 35-54 and 25 per cent of those aged 55 and over); renters (62 per cent of renters vs 26 per cent of homeowners), those living with relatives or parents (50 per cent) and women (43 per cent of women vs 32 per cent of men).
Forty per cent of respondents say the cost of housing has affected their ability to save enough for retirement.
Only 33 per cent of respondents feel that the GTA is prepared to provide housing for an influx of people over the next 23 years, while the balance feel that the GTA is ill prepared. Sixty-seven per cent of those polled feel that their children will be unable to afford a home in the community they grew up in.
“If we want to build more houses, faster, to increase affordability and availability, we should look at what can be done at the municipal level. It is important that housing affordability is part of every municipal candidate’s platform,” says Wilkes.
“One of the key issues facing home buyers and renters in the GTA is inadequate housing supply and choice, and one of the main reasons for this is municipal policy that unnecessarily locks up housing options.”
TREB and BILD both have websites to address housing issues during the election.
“TREB is excited to be working with BILD to ensure that important housing issues receive the attention that they deserve, from both candidates and voters, during this municipal election campaign. As the poll shows, housing issues are top of mind for the electorate,” says John DiMichele, CEO of TREB.
