It’s a new year, but Canadians are still worried about housing. Meanwhile, the pressure on Prime Minister Mark Carney to remedy the problem is growing.
A December 2025 Abacus Data survey of nearly 2,500 Canadians about government priorities confirms housing affordability remains near the top of the public agenda. Eighty-nine per cent of Canadians say making housing affordable should be a federal priority – up four percentage points since the last survey in August 2025.
From the moment Carney set out his seven national priorities, housing was always going to be the biggest issue to tackle. Canadians have heard the promises before. What makes this moment different is the Prime Minister’s insistence on discipline and measurable progress.
New Home Construction: Central to the Problem, Slow to Show Results
Housing is also where the government’s challenge becomes most visible. Building new homes, increasing supply, and restoring affordability are long-term issues that are inherently slow-moving.
There is a lag between policy announcements and real-world outcomes. Builder budgets, labour shortages, zoning and permitting delays, and real-world changes, such as tariffs, continue to limit how quickly projects can break ground or reach completion. Even the most well-coordinated fiscal plans cannot compress timelines overnight.
This lag might explain why Canadians are tempering their confidence in Carney’s plans. While 64 per cent of Canadians say improving housing affordability would personally benefit them, that number has not changed since earlier tracking from last June and August.
More importantly, under the “make housing more affordable through public-private partnerships and skilled trade careers,” only 18 per cent thought that the federal government’s progress was on track.
The accountability moment for the Carney government
The Carney government has not lost public support for its direction. Canadians continue to endorse the focus and remain open to the idea that progress is possible. But housing illustrates the risk of a holding pattern. When expectations are this high, progress must begin soon.
Over the fall, the government tried to signal momentum through its first budget, policy announcements, and a push for economic coordination. For housing, however, those signals have yet to register as meaningful change in people’s day-to-day experience. The result is a growing gap between activity and perception, and confidence is unlikely to shift until Canadians see tangible results.
What Potential Home Buyers Should Do in the Meantime
- Adjust expectations about timing. New home construction is a long-cycle process. Policy changes, budgets, and coordination efforts will not translate into immediate supply or price relief.
- Plan for a prolonged holding pattern. Assume affordability pressures may persist through the near term rather than ease quickly in the new year.
- Focus on personal financial readiness. Prioritize saving, budgeting, and strengthening your financial position while waiting for conditions to improve.
- Watch for tangible outcomes, not announcements. Government signals, budgets, and priorities are ongoing, but meaningful change will show up in actual supply and pricing.
- Track construction and supply indicators locally. National priorities matter, but pay close attention to what is being built and delivered in your own region.
- Be cautious about policy-driven optimism. Again, buyers should avoid assuming rapid gains from public-private partnerships or new initiatives.
- Consider flexibility in housing choices. Remain open to different timelines, locations, or types of housing as the market adjusts slowly.
- Stay informed but patient. Housing remains a top national priority, and public support for action is strong, but the results will take time to materialize.
The Bottom Line
New home construction has become the biggest test of Mark Carney’s promise to govern by results. Canadians agree with the priority, believe in its importance, and want the government to succeed. But until progress is visible, particularly on supply and affordability, the government’s disciplined approach will wear thin. Carney needs to act soon, while the numbers and the nation’s patience, are still in his favour.
