{"id":63,"date":"2018-12-21T18:28:38","date_gmt":"2018-12-21T18:28:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/economics\/2018\/12\/21\/housing-affordability-worsens-with-no-break-in-sight-in-2019\/"},"modified":"2025-03-31T02:12:30","modified_gmt":"2025-03-31T02:12:30","slug":"housing-affordability-worsens-with-no-break-in-sight-in-2019","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rbc.com\/en\/economics\/canadian-analysis\/canadian-housing\/housing-affordability\/housing-affordability-worsens-with-no-break-in-sight-in-2019\/","title":{"rendered":"Housing Affordability Worsens, with No Break in Sight in 2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

In RBC’s latest quarterly housing affordability report<\/a>, the affordability measure is now at its worst level in Canada since 1990. Rising interest rates are the main culprit. And with two more rate hikes expected in 2019, the price of owning a home will continue to escalate.<\/p>\n

This year’s mortgage stress test \u2014 which required would-be buyers to qualify at a significantly higher interest rate than their offered rate \u2014 also contributed to the decline in affordability. In every market across Canada, buyers now need thousands of dollars more in income to buy a home with a mortgage.<\/p>\n

Despite this, in Canada’s smaller cities \u2014 including Winnipeg, Quebec City and Saint John \u2014 owning a home is still largely affordable for the average family.<\/p>\n

In Vancouver, Toronto and Victoria \u2014 Canada’s three most expensive markets \u2014it took between two and three times the median household income to qualify to purchase an average home. In Vancouver, the income necessary to cover ownership costs and clear the mortgage stress test was $211,000 in the third quarter of 2018. The qualifying income was $167,000 in Toronto.<\/p>\n

In Montreal and Ottawa \u2014 among the stronger markets in Canada over the last year \u2014 solid price gains are amplifying the effect of higher interest rates on ownership costs.<\/p>\n

There is no break in sight in 2019.<\/p>\n

The loss of affordability of the average-priced home has prompted many buyers to focus instead on lower-priced housing options, such as condos. But this has been somewhat of a Catch-22 because this strong demand resulted in higher condo prices, leading to some erosion of condo affordability.<\/p>\n

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Read the Full Report<\/h4>\n

Download<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The housing affordability measure is now at its worst level in Canada since 1990, with rising interest rates as the main culprit. 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