Most (87%) GTA Residents Say it’s Important to Build New Homes in the GTA to Help Address Affordability Issues in the Region

Toronto, ON, September 18, 2018 — Most (87%) residents of the GTA believe it is “important” (35% very/52% somewhat) to build new homes in the GTA as a way of addressing housing-affordability issues in the region, according to a new Ipsos poll conducted on behalf of BILD and TREB. In fact, a strong majority of residents in each of Toronto (88%), Durham (88%), York (87%), Peel (87%) and Halton (81%) believe that building a new supply of homes is important. Just 13%, overall, believe that building more homes is not an important (3% not at all/10% not very) step in addressing the affordability of homes in the GTA.

A poll released last week by Ipsos, BILD and TREB revealed that the cost of housing is among the top issues of the upcoming municipal election campaigns in the GTA. Municipal zoning by-laws establish what different areas within the municipality can be used for, such as high-density housing, low-density housing, commercial or industrial activity.

Thinking about housing supply and the role that municipalities play in determining where various types of homes can be built, nearly nine in ten (86%) agree (26% strongly/60% somewhat) that GTA municipalities should review and consider changes to their zoning by-laws to allow for greater flexibility in creating middle-density housing types defined as housing types between high density, like apartment buildings, and low density, like single-family detached home. Just 14% disagree (3% strongly/11% somewhat) with this approach. Agreement is slightly higher in the 416 (Toronto Proper) (89%) than it is in the 905-area surrounding the city (85%).

Perhaps not surprisingly, opposition to new construction increases the closer it is proposed to one’s home, underscoring the role that NIMBY-ism can play in zoning and development considerations. While many are open to a wide variety of housing in their neighbourhood, the bigger the building the more opposed people are to its development. Looking at the proportion of people who would oppose construction of various types of homes within a half-kilometer of where they live:

• Three in ten (30%) oppose the building of a single-family detached home less than 500m from their home.
• Four in ten (37%) oppose the building of a town-house development less than 500m from their home.
• Four in ten (44%) oppose the building of a stacked townhouse development less than 500m from their home.
• Half (49%) oppose the building of a small condominium apartment building less than 500m from their home.
• A slim majority (52%) oppose the building of a mid-rise condominium apartment building less than 500m from their home.
• Six in ten (59%) oppose the building of a high-rise condominium apartment building less than 500m from their home.

About the Study

These are some of the findings of an Ipsos poll conducted between August 20 and 23, 2018, on behalf of BILD and TREB. For this survey, a sample of 1503 adults living in the GTA was polled. Weighting was then employed to balance demographics to ensure that the sample's composition reflects that of the adult population according to Census data and to provide results intended to approximate the sample universe. The precision of Ipsos online polls is measured using a credibility interval. In this case, the poll is accurate to within ±2.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20, had all GTA residents been polled. The credibility interval will be wider among subsets of the population. All sample surveys and polls may be subject to other sources of error, including, but not limited to coverage error, and measurement error.

For more information on this news release, please contact:
Sean Simpson
Vice President, Ipsos Public Affairs
+1 416 324-2002
[email protected]

About Ipsos Public Affairs

Ipsos Public Affairs is a non-partisan, objective, survey-based research practice made up of seasoned professionals. We conduct strategic research initiatives for a diverse number of Canadian American and international organizations, based not only on public opinion research, but elite stakeholder, corporate, and media opinion research.
Ipsos has media partnerships with the most prestigious news organizations around the world. In Canada, Ipsos Public Affairs is the polling partner for Global News. Internationally, Ipsos Public Affairs is the media polling supplier to Reuters News, the world's leading source of intelligent information for businesses and professionals. Ipsos Public Affairs is a member of the Ipsos Group, a leading global survey-based market research company. We provide boutique-style customer service and work closely with our clients, while also undertaking global research.

About Ipsos

Ipsos is an independent market research company controlled and managed by research professionals. Founded in France in 1975, Ipsos has grown into a worldwide research group with a strong presence in all key markets. Ipsos ranks fourth in the global research industry.
With offices in 88 countries, Ipsos delivers insightful expertise across five research specializations: brand, advertising and media; customer loyalty; marketing; public affairs research; and survey management.
Ipsos researchers assess market potential and interpret market trends. They develop and build brands. They help clients build long-term relationships with their customers. They test advertising and study audience responses to various media and they measure public opinion around the globe.
Ipsos has been listed on the Paris Stock Exchange since 1999 and generated global revenues of €1,782.7 million in 2016.