In August 2024, housing, homelessness and poverty climbed to the top of the list of concerns for Canadians. What began in the Lower Mainland a decade ago became a preoccupation for people in Atlantic Canada, Ontario and Alberta, particularly among those aged 18 to 34.

As a federal election campaign carries on, Research Co. asked Canadians who they think is more responsible for making housing affordable in their community. The federal government (42 per cent) and the provincial government (41 per cent) are nearly tied, with fewer than one in five Canadians (17 per cent) saying municipal governments should be the main agents of change.

The expectation of federal government involvement is highest in Ontario (44 per cent), Quebec (also 44 per cent) and B.C. (42 per cent).

It’s not surprising to see the three provinces with the most-desired urban centres for newcomers to Canada — Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver — express a larger level of support on this issue.

Almost three in five Canadians (59 per cent) also say the federal government should tie immigration numbers to........

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