With inflation starting to come down, many seem to believe that the affordability crisis is coming to an end. This is not the case for those with low incomes, who will remain squeezed between the high costs of basic needs, and wages and benefits that have not kept pace.
Income and wealth inequality is a persistent and growing challenge in Canada. This is occurring at a time when the cost of living has risen sharply and the lowest-income households find themselves without adequate income or savings to afford basic necessities. Action is urgently needed. To reduce widening disparities and … Read More
Solving Canada’s housing affordability crisis requires addressing the mismatch of housing supply and need. For too long, we have focused on building “sprawl and tall” – expensive houses further afield and small, costly units in high-rise buildings while neglecting critical segments of our housing system needed to accommodate a range … Read More
With each year, our built environment faces increased pressure from climate change and an ever-greater frequency of floods, extreme heat and smoke pollution. These trends will continue squeezing lower-income households the hardest because they are more likely to live in riskier areas and are less able to afford resilience-enhancing retrofits. … Read More
Now that the holiday break is over for many school children, it’s time to return to the routine of school lunches and early morning breakfasts. But new data suggests that for many families with children, this may be difficult. Food insecurity has soared to record levels, with the cost of … Read More
Rising inflation has put a significant financial strain on many households. By October 2023, for example, average consumer prices were more than 15 per cent higher than they were immediately before the COVID-19 pandemic. Essential items such as shelter and food have seen particularly sharp rises – up roughly 20 … Read More
The debate about affordability and climate change is stuck. Opponents of carbon taxes and regulations emphasize increased energy prices. Clean energy advocates argue a net-zero emissions future will cost Canadians less yet offer few guarantees to make the transition affordable and fair. Both sides are missing out on opportunities to … Read More
Scaling up an Indigenous-to-Indigenous housing finance model would get far more homes built where banks won’t go and where Ottawa won’t back loans.
Since the House of Commons returned for its fall sitting, affordability has topped the agenda. The government introduced the Affordable Housing and Groceries Act to spur construction of new apartment buildings and increase competition among grocery retailers, and also increased the amount of low-cost financing available to developers and builders … Read More
The ongoing affordability crisis has brought into sharp focus the need for fairness and justice when it comes to the economic and societal transformations that will be required to achieve climate goals. Governments do need to act on the affordability issue. But backtracking on climate policies is not the answer. … Read More
1470 Peel St. #200 Montreal, Quebec Canada H3A 1T1
60 George St.
Ottawa, Ontario
Canada K1N 1J4
© Affordability Action Council
a joint initative by
