Living arrangements | Future lives

Future lives video series

The Canadian housing market and household composition are shifting rapidly.

Since 2020, national home prices and interprovincial migration have been increasing at record rates.

In the second quarter of 2021, more than 120,000 people moved to another province or territory—the highest of any quarter since 1991.

In 2020, the average home price was 7 times the average household income. In 1980, it was 3 times.

In Canada, 2 in 5 renters spend at least 30% of their income on rent and utilities.

Single-occupant homes are the most common type of home in Canada. They have more than doubled to 4 million since 1981.

People living alone are more likely to experience financial hardship, with 33% of working-age singles living in poverty.

How might future housing prospects affect decisions about work, family formation, and retirement?

What social or financial policies could emerge in response to increases in solo living and the rising costs of housing?

What social, economic, and environmental forces might affect housing security and stability in the future?

What does this mean for the life course?