Rents are so high across Canada that some people who work full time can't afford a place to live. The average asking price for rent in Canada hit an all-time high of $2,202 per month in May, according to a new report.A sign advertises office space available for rent in downtown Ottawa. Finding housing is daunting amid surging prices and decreased availability marking Canada's rental housing crisis. CBC News spoke with a man who found a creative solution.
The average asking price for rent in Canada hit an all-time high of $2,202 per month in May, according to a "It really reflects how astronomically high rental housing is," Hodgins told CBC News. "It's a huge problem." A person clears snow in St. John's on March 8. Last winter, an electrician working full time in the city had to sleep in his truck because he couldn't find an affordable apartment.
While the rental crisis is more of a specific problem in larger urban centres like Toronto and Vancouver, it's spreading from there as people look for affordable rentals further and further afield, he said. People will make sacrifices to ensure they can pay their rent, including cutting their budget for food and medication, Hodgins, of the Canadian Centre for Housing Rights, said. And younger people may struggle to pay their student loans, or delay going back to school or starting families — all to make rent or because of lack of space, she said.