{"id":229373,"date":"2026-01-12T12:27:42","date_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:27:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/?p=229373"},"modified":"2026-01-12T12:28:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-12T17:28:28","slug":"new-home-construction-lags-as-housing-affordability-tops-canadians-concerns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.livabl.com\/articles\/news\/new-home-construction-lags-as-housing-affordability-tops-canadians-concerns","title":{"rendered":"New home construction lags as housing affordability tops Canadians\u2019 concerns"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s a new year, but Canadians are still worried about housing. Meanwhile, the pressure on Prime Minister Mark Carney to remedy the problem is growing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A December 2025 Abacus Data<\/a> survey of nearly 2,500 Canadians about government priorities confirms housing affordability<\/a> remains near the top of the public agenda. Eighty-nine per cent of Canadians say making housing affordable should be a federal priority \u2013 up four percentage points since the last survey in August 2025. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From the moment Carney set out his seven national priorities<\/a>, 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\u2019s insistence on discipline and measurable progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

New Home Construction: Central to the Problem, Slow to Show Results<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Housing is also where the government\u2019s challenge becomes most visible. Building new homes<\/a>, increasing supply, and restoring affordability are long-term issues that  are inherently slow-moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is a lag between policy announcements and real-world outcomes. Builder budgets, labour shortages, zoning and permitting delays<\/a>, 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. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

This lag might explain why Canadians are tempering their confidence in Carney\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

More importantly, under the \u201cmake housing more affordable through public-private partnerships and skilled trade careers,\u201d only 18 per cent thought that the federal government\u2019s progress was on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The accountability moment for the Carney government<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Potential Home Buyers Should Do in the Meantime<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n