10/12/2026
Canada Needs More Homes to Sustain Affordability
As someone who’s spent over two decades helping clients find the right home in the GTA, I’m always watching how shifts in housing supply affect real people. Recent improvements in affordability may feel like a relief, but they’re on shaky ground. With new home construction—especially for those looking to own—slowing down, there’s a real concern that we won’t have enough homes to meet future needs. Recent estimates say we’ll need 417,000 to 469,000 new housing starts every year to bring affordability back to where it was before the pandemic by 2036, yet the gap hasn’t really changed.
Most of the new homes being built are rentals, while ownership-focused construction has dropped off—even as more rentals help balance things out a bit. Yes, slower population growth has provided a little breathing room, but building has actually slowed faster than demand. That means even with a softer market, we could fall behind again when demand picks up.
For families, newcomers, and investors alike, the message is clear: keeping ownership options available matters if we want to avoid an even bigger supply crunch down the road. I always aim to guide clients of all backgrounds through these shifts—because understanding the bigger picture helps all of us plan for a more secure future.
