Nearly half of all Metro Vancouver residents believe the housing crisis is the biggest issue facing B.C., a new poll suggests.
According to research released Thursday by Insights West, 48 per cent of people in the region think housing is the number one issue. The consensus among millennials was even stronger, at 72 per cent.
Renters, who face below vacancy rates of one per cent in the region, were similarly worried.
The next highest concern was healthcare, at just nine per cent.
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Eighty-four per cent of those surveyed said foreign buyers were to blame for the housing crisis, while 80 per cent chose population growth, 76 per cent said shadow flipping, and 73 per cent said money laundering. Other causes listed were city zoning rules and immigration.
“As the housing situation reaches crisis proportions, there is no shortage of scapegoats to blame, despite studies that show foreign buyers and money laundering are minor factors in the equation,” Insights West president Steve Mossop said.
Despite the majority of residents in agreement on the housing crisis, 23 per cent said it had “no impact” on them, while a quarter of those asked said it had a “medium negative impact.”
Factors that are also seen to be significantly contributing to the housing crisis include:
