New survey showed Canadians staying put and intensifying the squeeze on entry-level housing
Most Canadian homeowners stayed in place rather than moving up or downsizing, tightening an already constrained supply of entry-level properties and shutting more first-time buyers out of the market, a new national survey by CPA Canada found.
The 2026 Housing Study reported that 55% of homeowners plan to remain in their current home “for the foreseeable future,” while only 10% are looking to upsize.
Among owners who do want to move, 61% have been effectively sidelined – either waiting for prices to improve or unable to make the numbers work.
“This suggests a housing market that is increasingly stuck, with many homeowners holding onto starter homes longer than expected,” said David-Alexandre Brassard, chief economist at CPA Canada.
“Limited movement is reducing turnover and slowing overall market activity.”
“Meanwhile, expected downsizing among older Canadians remained modest, with only 19% of those aged 55 and older planning to do so, making it harder for first-time buyers to enter the market,” Brassard said.
Supply and demand pulled further out of sync
The survey also underscored a growing mismatch between what Canadians wanted and what builders delivered.
“About half of non-homeowners aspired to single-family homes or townhouses, yet these types of dwellings accounted for only about one-third of new construction,” Brassard said.
“Condos were less popular, with just 15% of non-homeowners naming them as their preferred option, and fewer than one in 10 Canadians viewing a starter home or condo as a viable first step.”
Those findings dovetailed with broader research pointing to chronic undersupply of ground-oriented homes and a widening structural gap between demand and new construction across the country.
Recent RBC Economics analysis also showed that ownership costs remained historically stretched even as price growth cooled in some markets.
Homeownership dream intact, but increasingly family-funded
Despite the gridlock, homeownership still sat at the heart of Canadians’ long-term plans.
CPA Canada reported that 90% of Canadians either own a home or hope to buy one, even as 46% said ownership has become harder to attain and one quarter view housing as simply overpriced.
Nearly 60% of homeowners received financial help to buy their first property, with roughly one-third receiving more than $50,000, while 71% shared housing costs with a partner or relative.
“The path to homeownership increasingly depended on factors beyond income alone,” said Li Zhang, financial literacy leader at CPA Canada.
“With high home prices and slower wage growth, especially among younger Canadians, many relied on financial support or cost sharing to make a purchase possible. Without that support, entering the market became significantly more difficult.”
CPA Canada’s study was conducted online by Leger from March 20 to 22, 2026 among 1,525 Canadians aged 18 and over.
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