Imagine a country where owning a home is a luxury, and the strength, stability and independence of having a place to call your own is only a dream.
According to Habitat for Humanity Canada’s 2024 Affordable Housing Survey, this is the reality for 84 per cent of Canadians who now see buying a home as unattainable.
Today, Friday, Nov. 22, on National Housing Day — and every other day — Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin believes that everyone deserves a place to call home. A place where children can thrive, parents can plan for the future, and communities can grow stronger.
Canada, and our local communities, are experiencing an unprecedented housing crisis; however, this crisis is no longer just about housing.
Canadians believe the lack of affordable housing is having a ripple effect, taking a toll on society and quality of life, destabilizing financial and mental health, widening the wealth gap, shrinking the middle class, impacting family and life planning for young people, and fracturing communities.
The Affordable Housing Survey reveals Canadians’ attitudes toward the nation’s housing crisis and the importance of homeownership, highlighting the increasing sacrifices people are making to afford housing, along with the mounting toll on mental health.
For younger generations, the inability to own a home affects family planning decisions — including delaying or having fewer children—career opportunities, and, for some, the decision to leave their community or even Canada.
This isn’t acceptable.
For the third consecutive year, lack of housing affordability ranks as a top concern for Canadians, alongside inflation and access to health care. Most Canadians believe that governments, particularly the federal government, have the greatest responsibility in addressing housing affordability, yet they also believe governments aren’t doing enough to work together to solve this crisis.
At Habitat for Humanity HMD, we witness firsthand the transformation that happens when Canadians become homeowners. We see the pride and joy in families when children have a place to study, when families have a kitchen in which to celebrate, and when parents no longer fear being renovicted.
We know that Habitat families gain the strength, stability, and independence they need to build a better life.
As we reflect on National Housing Day, I can’t help but think about the 87 percent of Canadians who believe homeownership can create more stability in their lives, and the 59 percent of Ontarians who are spending 50 percent or more of their household income on housing costs.
Helping Canadians achieve affordable homeownership is crucial to tackling the housing crisis. Together, we can create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
For more information, or to read the survey, visit habitat.ca/en/news/2024housingsurvey
Eden Grodzinski, CEO
Habitat for Humanity Halton-Mississauga-Dufferin
