Nearly a million Canadian homes were in need of serious repairs as of 2021, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation estimated in a new report.
This figure amounts to 6.1 per cent of all homes in Canada, a report by CMHC chief economist Mathieu Laberge said on Thursday.
“As of 2021, nearly 1 million homes across the country already required major repairs, putting existing housing supply at risk at a time when Canada needs it most,” Laberge said in his analysis.
But the poor housing conditions are concentrated among those who already live in precarious conditions. Indigenous people and those living in subsidized housing are more likely to live in homes requiring major repairs, he added.
More than one-third (36.8 per cent) of all dwellings provided by local governments or First Nations were in need of repair, compared to 6.1 per cent of the overall figure.
Buildings occupied by renters (7.3 per cent) were more likely than those owner-occupied homes (5.3 per cent) to be in need of repair.
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Homes in need of repair are 13 times more likely to mould or mildew than homes in good condition, and four times more likely to contain a pest infestation.
“This can reduce housing supply and contribute to poorer housing conditions that can affect their health,” the report said.
Canada’s territories have major repair need rates much higher than the rest of the country, with more than a quarter (26.6 per cent) of the homes in Nunavut, 18.4 per cent of the homes in the Northwest Territories and 12.3 per cent of the homes in Yukon were in need of major repairs.
While all provinces saw major repair need rates improve from 1996 to 2021, the rate got worse in the Northwest Territories.
New Brunswick saw the sharpest improvement, with a 4.44 per cent improvement, followed by Manitoba at 3.05 per cent.
Repairing older homes can be a “critical strategy” in making housing more affordable in Canada, Laberge said.
“Canada’s housing challenge is often framed as a race to build enough homes for a growing population,” he said.
“New construction remains essential. But maintaining the homes we already have is also important, especially in the context of an aging stock when housing supply is needed to support affordability across the country,” Laberge added.
Ya my house needs some serious repairs! But my family is hungry because we can’t afford food let alone thousands of dollars for repairs! I’m not an immigrant.
Some of the pro-immigration just have no clue how easily our economy can be manipulated by those who don’t live within the rules. There is a major black-market element to the newbies where goods and labour are brokers within the temple walls. There are so many labourers working “under the table” for cash where taxes are never collected. And how many of temporary foreign workers actually left the country as the Liberals would have you believe when they freely admit that they don’t track arrivals and departures. Ask anybody who takes on a census job when they arrive at massive house in the B.C. lower mainland with a 3-car garage and at least 12 rooms in it just to be told there’s only 4 people living there.
That includes apartments in Winnipeg!!
Respectfully the government allowed 16% population growth through immigration since 2015. The burden has skyrocketed affordability crisis and crushed availability of health care,, education and other essential services. It was horrible policy and Carney wants to continue it. I am tired of listening to people deny this reality
@Those talking about immigrants. Respectfully, the vast majority of immigrants do not get federal government subsidies. Economic and family class immigrants make up most newcomers and generally arrive with the financial resources or family support needed to establish themselves.
Refugees are a different situation. They arrive fleeing war/persecution, or other dangerous circumstances, with little money and few resources. They make up a smaller proportion of overall immigration, and providing them with assistance is justified given their circumstances.
Personally, I believe economic
and family class immigrants should be expected to contribute toward healthcare and other publicly funded social programs during their first year. If they have the financial means to immigrate, it’s reasonable to expect them to contribute.
Refugees, however, should be exempt from these requirements because they often arrive in vulnerable circumstances and need time to rebuild their lives.
Our economy is so healthy. We can fix our roof. Heat our homes. Or eat this month. Choose wisely! Keep voting the way you have been! Vote for decline’
When your given anything your not as likely to take care of it as you would have paid for it. Just think when you keep your home looking great and well maintained with improvements you get to pay more property tax.Some choose the squalor look just for that reason
Send more money to Gaza
The immigrants coming into Canada do not respect our country.
We need to stop all Immigrants coming into Canada.
They come and the government gives them money to live here.
What i really would like to see our government help out Canadians that need help. Stop sending millions and billions overseas when you have people here who can’t pay their mortgage bills and buy food.
I am fed up as alot of people are with this government
They do nothing for us.
Because all of these despicable immigrants are just feeding off of renter’s. They come to Canada (by any means necessary) the government gives them thousands of dollars, they buy properties (cheap because they’re run down) and then get renters to pay their mortgage. Stop immigration, it’s destroying Canada.
Native people are shockingly negligent about basic maintenance. Stop whining, take a look around and do something.
@On the side lines 1205 pm. With respect, I mentioned racism in response to the post @440 pm at the bottom which said these houses are all owned by immigrants. I’m not one to give such comments a pass.
Where are those 500,000 homes Carney said he would build every year. Just like everything from Carney it is all smoke and mirrors.
Eurotrash @9:16pm
Stop sniffing gas and glue stupid. Maybe your outlook will get better. On a good note a few more days and your welfare cheque will arrive 😀
Ben @9:06am.
Where there is smoke there is fire. People speak of facts and you BEN fall back on to “Oh my, racism and blaming the Liberals” when people point out the obvious, like Liberal waste and corruption, they have a point. Like the Liberals driving the country into the ground for the past 12 years.
No government incentive for home upgrade/rebuild. No tax breaks, no grants, nada. Second home sales have a large tax penalty. But Canada is real good to the world, I support Ukraine for example. Should be a little something left for us regular Canadians, eh…?
As usual, the racism and the “blame the Liberals” mantra are showing up in the comments.
So, whose stupid idea was it to allow stick frame 15 story frigging buildings? Any of these assholes making rules ever see the amount of wood and timber need for all that glue lamination etc? Its a phenomenal waste of wood!
My son lives in a brand new apt block. 6 stories and already its showing cracks through ceilings and walls. It has shifted already and is barely two years old.
Canada was promised 500000 homes by Barney. Now it’s not going to happen, ouh we’ll. Who cares.
Toronto is rife with rotting homes and now with all kinda of rental options, it’s only going to get worse. Toronto is the Detroit of the 21 st century…
Millions were sold over priced, poor quality built homes. This country is a scam.
Yeah @Eurotrash definitely when we saw the decline start to happen right? At least you tried lol
They just put new siding and windows over the rotten wood and don’t declare the basement floods. Problem solved, house sold for double.
This article feels extremely outdated if it is referencing a report from over 5 years ago. The housing market drove a large amount of flippers. Many, many homes have undergone significant renovations, at least here in Ontario. Even the reserves I have been to across Ontario, all nice homes now, even the small ones look really great. I believe that may have had to do with all the treaty resolutions as many put it into their homes which paid off because 10 years ago, a house on the reserves were half the price of a home off the reserve, now they are comparable.
Great article, just feel that too much has happened in the past 5 years.
@Dallas Winston. Indeed, the white trash inbreds from Europe have ruined the country
If we want to move the needle on housing affordability, the painfully obvious thing to do would be to ban landlords from holding a government office. They make more money the higher the rent gets, there is no incentive to lower it. It is a textbook conflict of interest and a great example of corruption in our government.
They’re all owned by stupid immigrants