Communities react differently to the possible construction of housing that is six storeys or higher on their block.
Vancouver, BC [October 17, 2024] – Just over two-in-five residents of Metro Vancouver believe the federal government has a role to play to alleviate the housing shortage in the region, a new Research Co. poll has found.
In the online survey of a representative regional sample, 41% of Metro Vancouverites think significantly reducing immigration to Canada would be the most effective solution to the housing crisis.
Fewer Metro Vancouverites support two other solutions: government construction of new housing via a public builder (28%) and the rezoning of cities to allow for the construction of new housing (20%).
More than half of Metro Vancouverites (52%) feel housing is the top issue facing their municipality, followed by crime and public safety (19%), the economy and jobs (also 19%), the environment (4%) and education (4%).
Housing is decidedly the most important municipal issue in the North Shore (65%) and Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities (59%). The proportions of residents who feel this way are lower in Surrey and White Rock (50%), Richmond and Delta (49%) and Vancouver (42%).
“Most Metro Vancouverites aged 35-to-54 (57%) and aged 55 and over (58%) look at housing as the biggest municipal challenge,” says Mario Canseco, President of Research Co. “Those aged 18-to-34 are worried about both housing (39%) and the economy and jobs (30%).”
When asked which factors contributed the most to the housing crisis, just under three-in-ten Metro Vancouverites (29%) point to immigration.
Fewer than one-in-five residents select any of five other options: interest rates and bank policy (18%), foreign speculators (17%), the policies of the Gordon Campbell and Christy Clark BC Liberal provincial governments (10%), the policies of the John Horgan and David Eby BC NDP provincial governments (also 10%) and obstruction from municipal governments (6%).
The perception of immigration amplifying the housing crisis is particularly high in Surrey and White Rock (38%). Fewer residents of Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities (30%), the North Shore (also 30%), Richmond and Delta (26%) and Vancouver (22%) express the same view.
When asked to assign blame for the housing crisis, Metro Vancouverites think the federal government is primarily responsible (44%), followed by the provincial government (33%) and municipal governments (23%).
Animosity towards the federal government on this question is highest among Metro Vancouverites aged 35-to-54 (46%) and residents of the North Shore (51%).
Respondents to this survey were asked to use an emotion to express their feelings about the provincial government setting specific homebuilding targets for their municipality or risk having funding for amenities be withheld.
The emotions mentioned the most are anticipation (16%), surprise (15%), trust (12%) and fear (11%). Fewer Metro Vancouverites said the policy evoked feelings of disgust (8%), sadness (also 8%), anger (6%) or joy (5%).
Just under three-in-five Metro Vancouverites (59%) say they would be “very comfortable” (23%) or “somewhat comfortable” (36%) with the construction of housing that is six storeys or higher on their block.
The level of comfort with these buildings is highest among Metro Vancouverites aged 18-to-34 (68%), and drops among those aged 35-to-54 (61%) and those aged 55 and over (46%).
Only 41% of respondents in the North Shore would be comfortable with the construction of housing that is six storeys or higher on their block. The proportions are higher in Richmond and Delta (58%), Surrey and White Rock (59%), Burnaby, New Westminster and the Tri-Cities (also 59%) and Vancouver (66%).
Methodology: Results are based on an online survey conducted from October 10 to October 14, 2024, among a representative sample of 700 adults in Metro Vancouver. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Metro Vancouver. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.7 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.
Find our data tables here and download the press release here.
For more information on this poll, please contact:
Mario Canseco, President, Research Co.
778.929.0490
[e] mario.canseco@researchco.ca