A significant number of Vancouver residents blame immigration for housing unaffordability in British Columbia’s largest metropolitan area.
In a recent survey conducted by Research Co. that garnered insights from 700 adults between October 10 and October 14, 2024, 41% of participants said they view immigration as a significant factor in the region’s housing shortage.
This perspective is most prevalent in areas such as Surrey and White Rock, where 38% of respondents link the crisis directly to immigration levels.
Over half (52%) of people living in Metro Vancouver reported housing as a key issue. Housing was followed by crime and the economy (both 19%) and the environment (4%).
“Most Metro Vancouverites aged 35-to-54 (57%) and aged 55 and over (58%) look at housing as the biggest municipal challenge,” said Research Co. president Mario Canseco in a press release.
“Those aged 18-to-34 are worried about both housing (39%) and the economy and jobs (30%).”
Greater Vancouver Area residents also want governments to pursue any available avenues to fix the problem.
Approximately 28% of those surveyed support government-led initiatives to construct new housing, while 20% are in favour of rezoning measures to enable further development.
Economic factors, including interest rates and bank policies, are also considered influential by 18% of respondents, with tackling foreign investment speculation noted as a priority by 17%.
The survey highlights a sense of urgency among Metro Vancouver residents, with 52% citing the housing crisis as the most pressing municipal issue, especially in the North Shore, Burnaby, New Westminster, and the Tri-Cities.
As for accountability, the federal government is deemed most responsible by 44% of those surveyed, followed by the provincial (33%) and municipal governments (6%).
The data suggests that opinions on the crisis and its solutions are shaped by age and geographic location, with older residents and those living in the North Shore expressing greater dissatisfaction with the federal government’s approach to managing the situation.
