this post was submitted on 13 Sep 2023
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Canada

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[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago (4 children)

So Canada has 38 million people and 16 million houses, about 2.4 people per house. Average household size in Canada is 2.5, so there is some slack to allow for second homes and vacancy.

Perhaps more houses are needed in the areas where people want to live, but it doesn't seem like that big of a shortage.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 year ago (1 children)

that seems a bit self fulfilling, most people aren't homeless, so of course the average household size is greater than the number of people per house. That doesn't mean that they are in a happy or affordable position.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 year ago

That's exactly my point.

It's not about a lack of houses in general, but a lack of housing in specific places and a lack of affordability in housing.

And yeah, facts have a way of being kind of obvious when you look at the figures.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I wonder how many of these are vacation homes or air b&b rentals that sit idle for most of the year?

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Up to 30% of Canadians are domestic speculators. Doesn't matter how much we build when people just buy it up to increase their portfolio. We need a ban on this activity or a very very heavy tax to force them to sell.

https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/speculators-30-homeowners-provinces-statscan-143600364.html?_guc_consent_skip=1694666705

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

You're working under assumption most homes have people.living in them...

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 year ago

That is a 100% indisputably correct assumption. Vacancy taxes worked where they've been implemented to incentivize the occupancy of empty homes and the overwhelming majority of homes have people living in them.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Just one house too few is enough to create an endless bidding war.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 year ago

No... one house too few can also mean two people somewhere have to become roommates, or a couple that wants to separate holds on a little longer, or someone lives with their parents, or etc etc.