CANADALAND Does Canada Have the World's Worst Housing Market?
May 1, 2026
Sabrina Nanji, founder of the Queen's Park Observer and policy-focused journalist on Ontario planning and housing. They contrast glossy luxury coverage with the affordability crisis. They explore the generational divide over homeownership. They scrutinize Ontario and federal policy moves like HST cuts, Bill 100, and developer incentives.
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Real Estate Porn Drives A Generational Divide
- Media coverage focuses on 'real estate porn' that appeals to older homeowners and skews public attention.
- Sabrina Nanji says millennial resentment grows as lifestyle pieces celebrate pricey homes while policy fixes remain weak or time-limited.
Canada's House Prices Tripled Since 2000
- Canada saw real house prices rise about 170% from 2000 to 2022, the largest among compared countries.
- The Economist chart placed Canada above Australia and the UK, showing a near tripling of prices nationally, not just in big cities.
Policy Incentives Often Benefit Builders Not Buyers
- Federal-provincial plan offsets some development charges and cuts HST on new homes, but incentives largely go to builders not buyers.
- A report found ~80% of builders weren't passing HST rebates to buyers, undermining the policy's intended affordability effect.