B.C. ranks high in home (un)affordability survey
Last Updated: Monday, January 28, 2008 | 9:14 PM PT
CBC News
Related
Internal Links
External Links
(Note: CBC does not endorse and is not responsible for the content of external sites - links will open in new window)
A new housing survey contains some bad news for British Columbia residents who dream of owning their own home in the near future.
The International Housing Affordability Survey, which compared 227 housing markets around the world, says B.C. has three of the most unaffordable housing markets in the world.
They include Kelowna, Vancouver, and Victoria, which retain the dubious distinction of ranking in the top 25 of the globe's most severely unaffordable markets.
That ranking is based on a comparison between the household incomes and the median house prices in the markets that are included in the survey.
In Kelowna, for example, where the median household income is $52,200, the median house price is $446,300. Kelowna ranked 13th in the survey.
In Vancouver, the median income of $59,000 compares to a median house price of $503,400. Vancouver ranked 15th.
The report warns that the discrepancy between household incomes and housing prices will have serious implications for living standards in some regions, which the survey says may not be sustainable.
In an interview with CBC News, Kelowna resident Michelle Sedmak described the high cost of housing as a "slap in the face.''
"It's crazy," she said, adding that with a total income of just under $50,000 from each of their full-time jobs, she and her husband were unable to qualify for a mortgage.
The couple were told by their bank they would need two full-time jobs each, at their current salaries, to qualify for a mortgage in Kelowna, said Sedmak.
High costs will be especially tough on ethnic minority householders, who tend to have lower average incomes, the report said. The report attributes the difference between incomes and housing prices to land scarcity.
Share Tools
Latest British Columbia News Headlines
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Surrey RCMP seek hit-run driver
- Police are looking for a light-coloured Chrysler with damage to the driver's front side after a pedestrian was hit in Surrey, B.C., early Sunday morning. more »
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- A Vancouver man who climbed the world's highest mountain is back home and talking about the adventure. more »
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire
- A sushi restaurant in Fort Langley, B.C., was damaged in a fire early Sunday morning. more »
Top News Headlines
- Canadian Pacific strikers face back-to-work legislation
- Labour Minister Lisa Raitt is prepared to end the Canadian Pacific Railway strike if necessary, after both CP and the union rejected a proposal for voluntary arbitration by the government-appointed negotiator on Sunday. Raitt says she is "extremely disappointed." more »
- Syrian regime denies role in Houla massacre
- The UN Security Council condemned the Syrian regime at an emergency meeting Sunday, holding president Bashar al-Assad's military responsible for the massacre of more than 100 people, dozens of whom were children younger than 10 years old. more »
- Ryder Hesjedal wins prestigious Giro d'Italia
- Victoria, B.C., native Ryder Hesjedal has become the first Canadian to win one of the cycling world's three Grand Tour events, wrapping up the 2012 Giro d'Italia with an excellent performance in the final stage in Milan. more »
- Neighbour may have helped find missing kids in Mexico
- Two Winnipeg children who had been missing for nearly four years were found in Mexico after a man raised concerns about his neighbour, according to a private investigator. more »
- B.C. NDP calls for unity in fighting coast guard closure
- Surrey RCMP seek hit-run driver
- B.C. man who scaled Everest returns home
- Fort Langley restaurant damaged in fire
- Passengers' families sue for fatal B.C. plane crash
- B.C. Coast Guard Auxiliary gets new name
- Tsunami motorcycle heading to Harley museum
- Psych ward escapes worry neighbours
- Gang forum honours Surrey 6 victim

