ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

Skip to main content

Housing affordability to improve in 2023, with some regional disparities: Desjardins

Share
OTTAWA -

As rising interest rates weigh on housing affordability, a new report suggests some relief may be on the horizon.

The report by Desjardins on Canada's residential real estate outlook said Thursday housing affordability is set to improve in 2023, though to varying degrees across the country.

Provinces that experienced the largest gains in housing prices during the pandemic will see the sharpest corrections post-pandemic, including the Maritime provinces and areas surrounding Toronto, Vancouver and Montreal, the report said.

However, these regions aren't necessarily the ones that will see the greatest improvements in affordability, said Randall Bartlett, Desjardins' senior director of Canadian economics.

"In cities that saw the greatest erosion of affordability ... we think it's unlikely that they'll get back to those pre-pandemic levels over the next couple of years," Bartlett said.

According to the report, Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg will see the largest improvements in affordability.

And while cities like Edmonton and Calgary will return to pre-pandemic affordability levels by late 2024, Ontario won't come close.

According to the Desjardins Affordability Index, affordability in Ontario will return to the same level it was at in early 2021.

The Bank of Canada's interest rate hikes have taken a toll on the housing market, slowing the pace of home sales and sending prices tumbling.

Since March, the central bank has raised its key interest rate from 0.25 to 3.25 per cent, leading to higher borrowing costs for Canadians.

According to the Canadian Real Estate Association, the average price of a home sold in August was $637,673, down from $816,720 in February.

However, recent reports from the parliamentary budget officer and RBC show cheaper homes have not necessarily made it more affordable to buy a home.

The PBO's house price assessment published last month said the cost of the average house is 67 per cent higher than what the average household can afford and an RBC report said the median household would need to spend 60 per cent of its income on ownership costs.

With interest rates set to rise even higher, Bartlett said housing affordability will continue to deteriorate for another three to six months. Once interest rates stabilize, however, affordability will improve, he said.

The report said greater affordability will lead to a housing market rebound starting in 2024.

Desjardins is also forecasting the Canadian economy will enter a recession early next year. The report warned governments will need to "mitigate the impact of the economic slowdown on homebuilding activity."

"Efforts to boost supply must be maintained to accommodate Canada's fast-growing population without generating new froth," the report said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 6, 2022

CTVNews.ca ÐÇ¿Õ´«Ã½

The province's public security minister said he was "shocked" Thursday amid reports that a body believed to be that of a 14-year-old boy was found this week near a Hells Angels hideout near Quebec City.

Shamattawa RCMP are searching for a missing six-year-old boy who hasn’t been seen since Wednesday morning.

B.C.'s police watchdog is investigating the death of a woman who was shot by the RCMP after allegedly barricading herself in a room with a toddler early Thursday morning.

Quebec Premier Francois Legault is calling on the Bloc Quebecois to topple the Trudeau government next Wednesday and trigger a federal election.

Local Spotlight

They say a dog is a man’s best friend. In the case of Darren Cropper, from Bonfield, Ont., his three-year-old Siberian husky and golden retriever mix named Bear literally saved his life.

Paleontologists from the Royal B.C. Museum have uncovered "a trove of extraordinary fossils" high in the mountains of northern B.C., the museum announced Thursday.

The search for a missing ancient 28-year-old chocolate donkey ended with a tragic discovery Wednesday.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is celebrating an important milestone in the organization's history: 50 years since the first women joined the force.

It's been a whirlwind of joyful events for a northern Ontario couple who just welcomed a baby into their family and won the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot last month.

A Good Samaritan in New Brunswick has replaced a man's stolen bottle cart so he can continue to collect cans and bottles in his Moncton neighbourhood.

David Krumholtz, known for roles like Bernard the Elf in The Santa Clause and physicist Isidor Rabi in Oppenheimer, has spent the latter part of his summer filming horror flick Altar in Winnipeg. He says Winnipeg is the most movie-savvy town he's ever been in.

Edmontonians can count themselves lucky to ever see one tiger salamander, let alone the thousands one local woman says recently descended on her childhood home.

A daytrip to the backcountry turned into a frightening experience for a Vancouver couple this weekend.

Stay Connected