Housing-supply Trends in Canada’s Largest Metropolitan Areas

Our latest Housing Market Insight explores the last three decades of new housing construction in the three largest Canadian census metropolitan areas (CMAs):

• Toronto
• Montréal
• Vancouver

This intra-metropolitan analysis outlines long-term housing supply trends, such as suburbanization and gentrification.

Highlights

• Montréal has seen the strongest pattern of suburbanization. Housing supply increased with distance from the city centre and decreased with population density.
• Toronto has experienced urban sprawl with a high level of housing development in remote suburbs. However, Toronto has also seen a boom in housing construction in its core.
• Urban sprawl is more limited in Vancouver, as this CMA has a relatively stable level of construction in its urban areas.

Population density and family income analyses

The population density analysis shows that housing completions tend to increase with population density in Vancouver. However, it decreases with population density in Montréal. This result suggests a strong pattern for suburbanization in Montréal and a much more limited one in Vancouver.

The family income analysis reveals that the level of housing completions is the highest in middle-class areas. The lower level of housing starts are in low-income areas in Montréal and to a lesser degree in Toronto. This may indicate affordability challenges in those neighbourhoods. The increasing trend towards suburbanization may accelerate the external costs of housing. These costs include infrastructure investments, roadway congestion and greenhouse gas emissions.

What type of housing is built where?

Source: CMHC

Note: This table excludes co-ops.

Download the full report (PDF)

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