As a new U.S. administration issues repeated threats to impose punishing tariffs on Canadian exports, the IRPP hosted a panel discussion on how to address the intersecting affordability and climate crises.
With inflation starting to come down, many seem to believe that the affordability crisis is coming to an end. This is not the case for those with low incomes, who will remain squeezed between the high costs of basic needs, and wages and benefits that have not kept pace.
Income and wealth inequality is a persistent and growing challenge in Canada. This is occurring at a time when the cost of living has risen sharply and the lowest-income households find themselves without adequate income or savings to afford basic necessities. Action is urgently needed. To reduce widening disparities and … Read More
Solving Canada’s housing affordability crisis requires addressing the mismatch of housing supply and need. For too long, we have focused on building “sprawl and tall” – expensive houses further afield and small, costly units in high-rise buildings while neglecting critical segments of our housing system needed to accommodate a range … Read More
With each year, our built environment faces increased pressure from climate change and an ever-greater frequency of floods, extreme heat and smoke pollution. These trends will continue squeezing lower-income households the hardest because they are more likely to live in riskier areas and are less able to afford resilience-enhancing retrofits. … Read More
Affordability and climate are compounding, overlapping crises — and people are struggling through them both at the same time. Individuals across Canada are tired of making trade-offs because, when it comes to life’s necessities — housing, food, transportation and a sustainable climate — there should be none. Solutions that ignore … Read More
As the COVID pandemic began to show signs of receding in early 2022, Canadians were looking to the future with renewed hope. Governments initially spoke of “building back better” after the devastating pandemic, with aspirations for addressing social inequalities and making the country’s systems more resilient.
But for many people, that hope for progress was soon tempered by soaring prices for food, rent and gas, as well as the effects of a record-breaking wildfire season, floods, storms and other climate-change-induced events that have touched virtually every corner of the country.
Transportation is one of the largest expenses for households alongside housing and food. It also represents the second-largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions in Canada. To provide affordable, clean-energy transportation options to lower-income Canadians, the federal government should revise its electric-vehicle incentive program and provide sustainable operating funding for transit systems. … Read More
Montreal — Many Canadians lack affordable transportation options, which can restrict their access to work opportunities, health care and education, and can result in social exclusion. In Canada’s eight largest cities, nearly one million residents are at risk of being unable to access or afford transportation. And the more than … Read More
More than four million Canadians live in low-density areas, which include rural, remote, Indigenous and northern communities. Most have few transportation options aside from driving a personal vehicle. For those who cannot drive because of cost, age or ability, the lack of options can exacerbate inequities and increase risks to … Read More
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