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The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy @lispop.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

This is a popular narrative, particularly on the centre-left so it is understandable that this circulates. However, we were skeptical of the claims and dug into the data more closely. We published our response at scholars.wlu.ca/lispop/9/.

scholars.wlu.ca

Not All Dwellings Are the Same: Commentary on Ideology, Evidence and Narratives in Canada’s Housing Affordability Crisis

By Matthew Arp and Simon Kiss, Published on 05/01/26

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The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy @lispop.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

At first glance, the report shows this graph, which illustrates the number of dwellings per 1k people and adults. Dwellings per 1k adults has remained steady over the last 50 years, while housing prices have obviously dramatically increased.

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The Laurier Institute for the Study of Public Opinion and Policy @lispop.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

There’s a problem here: StatsCan defines a dwelling as any kind of structure that can house people. A massive suburban McMansion and a shoebox condo are both equally dwellings. When we unpacked this data, the number of single-detached homes per 1k adults has been steadily declining since 2000.

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