Cost of housing in Canada

[mariomike]

For Ontario home buyers,

December 11, 2023

How Much Sq.Ft. Can You Get for $400,000 in Ontario's Largest Cities?

Ontario's Best & Worst: Thunder Bay, Chatham-Kent & Greater Sudbury Homebuyers Get Most Space for $400,000

Homebuyers in Toronto, Oakville and Vaughan face the bleakest prospects: $400k buy less than 500 square feet of living space.

www.point2homes.com

For Toronto, Oakville and Vaughan home seekers, a $400k homebuying budget is almost a nonstarter.

 

[Quirky]

And in related labour market news.....

On Monday, Labour Minister Seamus O’Regan said he planned to add LBGT and Black people to the list of those with special hiring privileges.

So just identify as a LBGT, play the game, and get hired. Easy peasy.

 

[dimsum]

So just identify as a LBGT, play the game, and get hired. Easy peasy.

I’m sure there won’t be any public (or private) backlash to anyone who does this.

It would be an interesting conversation if someone tried this and their friends/co-workers/bosses found out.

 

[YZT580]

So just identify as a LBGT, play the game, and get hired. Easy peasy.

More resentment on the way. Martin Luther King must be turning over in his grave. He was all about equality not preferential treatment

 

[GR66]

So just identify as a LBGT, play the game, and get hired. Easy peasy.

As long as they don't introduce a new "entrance exam" to prove it...

 

[Brad Sallows]

I’m sure there won’t be any public (or private) backlash to anyone who does this.

It would be an interesting conversation if someone tried this and their friends/co-workers/bosses found out.

The conversation ends as soon as the magic words "I identify as..." are uttered. Unless someone's willing to get caught second-guessing the identifiers and risk ending up in the mob's crosshairs.

 

[Kirkhill]

I’m sure there won’t be any public (or private) backlash to anyone who does this.

It would be an interesting conversation if someone tried this and their friends/co-workers/bosses found out.

The articles author suggested the "bi" route. Hard to prove/disprove.

Kind of like those folks I know scouring their ancestry for indigenous genes.

 

[dimsum]

The conversation ends as soon as the magic words "I identify as..." are uttered. Unless someone's willing to get caught second-guessing the identifiers and risk ending up in the mob's crosshairs.

Maybe? I wasn’t thinking of anything nefarious by the employer or co-workers.

What I was envisioning was if I wanted to do this (I don’t, but let’s say I do), publicly identifying as LGBT to get a job would presumably mean that unlike the former US policy of “don’t ask don’t tell”, it would almost be the opposite.

The workplace would want to highlight their LGBT members for the sake of diversity, so I would likely be the subject of social media, invitations to participate in/host Pride events, etc. There might be some perceived or outright peer pressure from the LGBT community to “show the flag” as well. None of this is the employer wanting to second-guess anything; if anything, it is probably because they genuinely want to support the LGBT community and think that highlighting members is a good thing.

So, it will go one of three ways:

1. I agree to those events, hence my friends/family will also think that I identify as LGBT
2. I fess up and say I’m actually hetero, which brings up the issue of how I was hired
3. I spend my career trying to ignore or duck out of those things

I guess there’s a fourth way, which is that “I used to be LGBT but now am not”, which then risks both the way I was hired, and backlash from the LGBT community.

…anyway, the more I wrote this, the more I realized that it was like The IT Crowd episode where Roy pretends to be disabled to use the handicapped toilets.

 

[Brad Sallows]

The workplace would want to highlight their LGBT members for the sake of diversity, so I would likely be the subject of social media, invitations to participate in/host Pride events, etc. There might be some perceived or outright peer pressure from the LGBT community to “show the flag” as well.

Given how much stress was laid on respecting people's privacy (at least during the early-era "DEI" sessions required 20+ years) ago, I doubt it. That'd just be cause for more grievances.

 

[Good2Golf]

Maybe? I wasn’t thinking of anything nefarious by the employer or co-workers.

What I was envisioning was if I wanted to do this (I don’t, but let’s say I do), publicly identifying as LGBT to get a job would presumably mean that unlike the former US policy of “don’t ask don’t tell”, it would almost be the opposite.

The workplace would want to highlight their LGBT members for the sake of diversity, so I would likely be the subject of social media, invitations to participate in/host Pride events, etc. There might be some perceived or outright peer pressure from the LGBT community to “show the flag” as well. None of this is the employer wanting to second-guess anything; if anything, it is probably because they genuinely want to support the LGBT community and think that highlighting members is a good thing.

So, it will go one of three ways:

1. I agree to those events, hence my friends/family will also think that I identify as LGBT
2. I fess up and say I’m actually hetero, which brings up the issue of how I was hired
3. I spend my career trying to ignore or duck out of those things

I guess there’s a fourth way, which is that “I used to be LGBT but now am not”, which then risks both the way I was hired, and backlash from the LGBT community.

…anyway, the more I wrote this, the more I realized that it was like The IT Crowd episode where Roy pretends to be disabled to use the handicapped toilets.

Q….

‘nuf said

As Brad Sallows says, it would be too risky to them to come across as questioning someone who is…you know….questioning…that would be sexual harassment.

 

[lenaitch]

I fess up and say I’m actually hetero, which brings up the issue of how I was hired

Grounds for dismissal for cause?

 

[lenaitch]

From what I was reading, part of the federal housing catalogue plan is to not just have detached home, but fourplexes, low rise buildings, student residences etc. it won’t solve land costs, but it could accelerate shovels in dirt and potentially reduce development overhead costs.

I grew up in a 1950 modified 'victory' or 'strawberry box' home. Three bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, full basement. No garage. It was quite decent for a family of four.

Ontario is also musing with developing a standard plans book for schools and hospitals as well, to speed up construction.

To my mind, a so-called housing catalogue can potentially speed up things like local site plan development, zoning approval and construction costs, but it has to be more that detached single family homes. Many jurisdictions in the high growth areas like Toronto and surroundings simply don't have the inventory of serviced land available. Density has to be increased. Even at that, it has the potential to speed up availability but in and of itself won't make them significantly cheaper.

My only hope is the government doesn't decide the plans. Shades of Soviet-era soulless blocks come to mind.

 

[Kirkhill]

Sabrina Maddeaux: International students are suffering. The Liberals need to take action

The recent minor change to study permits is not nearly enough to save students from abhorrent living conditions and exploitation

nationalpost.com

1,440,000 University Students

Facts and stats - Universities Canada

University statistics on tuition fees, enrolment and quick facts on jobs and skills, Aboriginal education, student mobility and research and innovation.

www.univcan.ca

Last year, Canada reportedly welcomed 800,000 international students,

Canada's student housing pipeline - REMI Network

With skyrocketing rents and demand outstripping supply, the inability for many to find affordable student housing has dominated headlines.

www.reminetwork.com

Canada has 155,000 student housing beds in both university-owned (on-campus) and privately-owned (off-campus) properties spread throughout the 24 largest markets, representing 16 per cent of full-time students

As of January 2019, an estimated 51,747 purpose-built off-campus student beds were available or were being built across Canada.

Student Housing Special Report

svnrock.ca

1,440,000 Students
800,000 of them from overseas
155,000 student beds
51,000 off campus beds
100,000 on-campus beds (residence or dormitory)

IIRC in the stone age when I went to university almost all first year students lived in residence as did most second year and many third year. Some spent their entire university life in residence.

If universities want to churn 1,440,000 new students through their classes every year perhaps they should be supplying accommodation for them.

1,440,000 beds instead of 100,000 beds.

Universities need to be building more residences.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Anyone got insight as to how likely this is to be of help in all this? Housing minister Sean Fraser announces that a post-WW2 program of ‘pre-approved’ home designs will be resurrected to reduce red tape at all governmental levels in getting housing starts going. From the outside looking in I can see merit, and it’s a ‘tangible’ policy. Also interesting to see Fraser continuing to gain prominence.

Canada revives a war-time housing program amid crunch | Globalnews.ca

Ottawa will revamp a Second World War-era housing plan to speed up the pace of home building in Canada, Housing Minister Sean Fraser says.

globalnews.ca

Who is going to build the ? What's the incentive for the the contractors to build these vice the expensive homes they are build now ?

I like the plan, I just don't know how realistic it is.

Full disclosure, I didn't read the link. Ive spent the last few days in the Cape Breton Highlands climbing mountains looking for a bull moose... I'm too tired to read more than this forum lol.

 

[Remius]

I grew up in a 1950 modified 'victory' or 'strawberry box' home. Three bedroom, 1.5 bathrooms, full basement. No garage. It was quite decent for a family of four.

Apparently to some, that would be a shack…

Ontario is also musing with developing a standard plans book for schools and hospitals as well, to speed up construction.

That would be useful i think

To my mind, a so-called housing catalogue can potentially speed up things like local site plan development, zoning approval and construction costs, but it has to be more that detached single family homes. Many jurisdictions in the high growth areas like Toronto and surroundings simply don't have the inventory of serviced land available. Density has to be increased. Even at that, it has the potential to speed up availability but in and of itself won't make them significantly cheaper.

My only hope is the government doesn't decide the plans. Shades of Soviet-era soulless blocks come to mind.

Maybe standard but still have some optional pieces for unique elements?

 

[Kirkhill]

Just checked in on my old alma mater, the University of Guelph.

The tuition for my course is now:

$7,781 for an Ontario Resident
$8,705 for an Out of Province Canadian Resident
$35,492 for an International Student


Residence now costs:

$8,972 for a single room for 2 semesters with communal washrooms and lounges
$7,208 for the best meal plan
$16,108 Total Residence Cost.

This does not include soap, sheets, beer and other necessities.

Assuming that the 800,000 foreign students were to be supplied with equivalent accommodation they would still need to bring with them $20,000 over and above their tuition and fly back home every summer because residence is closed in the summer.

If the university is going to provide year round accommodation then that $16,000 residence cost is going to jump up to $25,000 and the student should expect to bring with them $30,000.

The cost of a Canadian education would then be $65,000 per year, up from the previously advertized $45,000 ($35,000 tuition plus $10,000 living expenses). The living expenses of $10,000 wouldn't buy a residence space even if a residence space were available.

On a monthly basis the residence room alone is $8,972 / 8 months or $1121/month.


Studio Apartment Costs

Vancouver $2501
Mississauga $2305
Hamilton $2049
Toronto $1816
Calgary $1416
Ottawa $1370
Montreal $1325
Edmonton $1139

Residence $1121


All things considered it seems to me that a great deal of problems could be solved by building more low cost residences on grounds already owned by universities. They could be built faster and cheaper with fewer amenities than apartments, condos or houses. And it would ease the pressure on those properties making them available for the working population trying to establish themselves.

 

[Brad Sallows]

I understand why tuitions are proportionately more now than mere inflation can account for. I can only wonder what the excuse for more than doubling the cost of room-plus-meals is, particularly since the meal plan at the cafeteria in those days was a flat rate - nothing to be gained or lost by skipping meals, limits on the entree but not beverages, salad, etc.

 

[Furniture]

I’m sure there won’t be any public (or private) backlash to anyone who does this.

It would be an interesting conversation if someone tried this and their friends/co-workers/bosses found out.

Who TF are bosses or friends to question anyone's sexuality?

I mean, is the "risk" of someone gaming the system worth your career/reputation?

 

[Eaglelord17]

Who TF are bosses or friends to question anyone's sexuality?

I mean, is the "risk" of someone gaming the system worth your career/reputation?

At this point it isn’t even gaming the system, its getting back to a equal point. Complete a apprenticeship as a man, you get 2k. Complete one as a woman, you get 6k. Institutionalized sexism, and racism.

For example the Federal service is priority hiring women but is over 55% female. That is not equality or even equity. That is domination. Maybe it could be called the ‘matriarchy’.

 

[dimsum]

At this point it isn’t even gaming the system, its getting back to a equal point. Complete a apprenticeship as a man, you get 2k. Complete one as a woman, you get 6k. Institutionalized sexism, and racism.

For example the Federal service is priority hiring women but is over 55% female. That is not equality or even equity. That is domination. Maybe it could be called the ‘matriarchy’.

Honest question: Is the 55% equally represented at all levels, or is it a ton of AS-01s or AS-02s, but not much anywhere else?