Majority Of Renters 'Seriously' Consider Leaving GTA: Housing Affordability Worsening [POLL]

housing (Photo courtesy of fumigene via Flickr.com)

The rent is just too damn high. And so is the cost of owning a home in the Greater Toronto Area. In fact, the affordable housing situation in the GTA is worsening according to renters and homeowners.

READ: Will Justin Trudeau Include A Housing Strategy For Renters In His Campaign?

A new Angus Reid Institute poll finds about 59 per cent of renters are “seriously” considering leaving the GTA given the high cost of owning a home.

Renters aren't alone. Of the 831 GTA residents surveyed, a total of 47 per cent are “seriously thinking of leaving the GTA” due to housing prices.

One-third of non-homeowners say they would like to buy a home right now — but just can't afford it.

And more than two-thirds of GTA residents think the government needs to further intervene in the housing market in order to improve housing affordability.

READ: Toronto Vs. The Top Rental Real Estate Markets In The World

Respondents “overwhelmingly” support of a foreign buyers’ tax in Ontario and a tax on vacant homes to help with the affordable housing crisis.

The survey's analysis states that “Among residents under age 35, fully six-in-ten are hoping the market cools off at least slightly, though it’s notable that nearly a quarter of those ages 55-plus – perhaps reflecting concern for children or grandchildren who are currently priced out of the market – say the same.”

READ: Toronto’s 35 Neighbourhoods: Where Is It Cheaper To Rent Or Own A Condo?

Ultimately, the poll finds that both homeowners and renters agree that the price of real estate in the Greater Toronto Area is “unreasonably high,” and that it may be too late for government intervention to burst the bubble they say is hurting the region.

both homeowners and renters agree that the price of real estate in the Greater Toronto Area is unreasonably high Source: AngusReid.org

READ: Doug Ford Promised Ontario This Housing ‘Plan’ Pre-Election: What Will Become Of It?

Renting

Majority Of Renters 'Seriously' Consider Leaving GTA: Housing Affordability Worsening [POLL]

READ: Will Justin Trudeau Include A Housing Strategy For Renters In His Campaign?

READ: Toronto Vs. The Top Rental Real Estate Markets In The World

READ: Toronto’s 35 Neighbourhoods: Where Is It Cheaper To Rent Or Own A Condo?

READ: Doug Ford Promised Ontario This Housing ‘Plan’ Pre-Election: What Will Become Of It?

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For buyers who want turnkey contemporary in one of Toronto's most walkable neighbourhoods — and don't want to compromise on either — 305 Manning Avenue is worth a close look.

The national office vacancy rate in Canada peaked in 2025 at 14.9%, but is now on the decline again.

The buy now, pay later model — increasingly popularized by platforms like Afterpay and Klarna — offers an alternative way for consumers to afford large purchases. But there can be drawbacks.

RioCan REIT continues to sell its RioCan Living rental portfolio; sales have also been secured for Bellevue Phase One and Two in Montreal.

"For too long, governments have acted as though escalating land prices are some natural phenomenon. They are not. They are, in large measure, the product of public policy."

Cressey Development first submitted an application for 727 North Road in 2023. The existing rental building was made uninhabitable by a fire in 2024, and caught fire again in 2025.

914 Bathurst is the first of what the partners describe as a robust pipeline of purpose-built rental communities in key urban locations across the GTA.

The 400-unit project is set for 602, 606, 610 Tyndall Street and 605, 611, 615 Claremont Street in Coquitlam, and consists of 339 strata units and 61 rental units.