Most Ontario residents want to see the province’s political parties address home affordability as part of their 2018 election platforms, according to a new poll conducted by Ipsos on behalf of the Ontario Real Estate Association, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association and the Fair Rental-housing Providers of Ontario.
Eighty-five per cent of those surveyed agree that Ontario political parties should commit to addressing housing affordability. Most (80 per cent) also agree that that they would be more likely to vote for a party whose platforms promotes home affordability. Among prospective first-time homebuyers, 91 per cent want to see affordability addressed in party platforms and 90 per cent agree that they would be more likely to vote for a party whose platform promotes affordability.
The survey says that 21 per cent of Ontarians would include home affordability in their list of top-three issues that will determine who they would vote for in the next election – even ahead of other important issues such as the environment (19 per cent), education (16 per cent) and transit (13 per cent). Ipsos says the issue of housing affordability is of particular importance to millennials (28 per cent). Healthcare (48 per cent) tops Ontarians’ list of important election issues, followed by hydro rates (47 per cent), taxes (39 per cent) the economy (33 per cent) and jobs (31 per cent).
Sixty-three per cent of respondents “agree” that “the provincial government needs to encourage more housing supply by reducing regulation on the home-building industry.”
Ipsos says Ontarians are broadly supportive of various provisions of the Ontario government’s new Fair Housing Plan – a 16-point plan that aims at making housing more affordable.
- Nine in 10 (89 per cent) support the commitment to do a broad review of the rules governing the real estate industry in Ontario.
- Eighty-one per cent support the introduction of a 15-per-cent non-resident speculation tax on any individual who is not a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Sixty-eight per cent support the idea of permitting municipalities to introduce a vacant homes property tax.
