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As a Gen-Z, I May Never Afford a House
Shouldn’t affordable housing be a right and not a privilege?
Whenever I take aimless walks through the different neighbourhoods scattered around my home city, I imagine living in the houses I pass along the way.
My favourite house was a charming bungalow with a small garden out front and climbing wisteria framing the pathway, the veranda snaking around the large bay windows. Another was a stately Victorian with spiring windows; harkening back to the typical homes in classic children’s Halloween movies.
If I’m in the mood to disappoint myself, I’ll search up the neighbourhood in question and browse current house prices in the area. Every time I do this, a wave of dismay crashes over me. Every single-family home is at least a million dollars and usually far more.
For context, I live in the most expensive city in North America. Even the outermost suburbs are extremely costly, including smaller properties such as condos, townhomes and apartments.
Renting isn’t any better.
As of 2019, $2,056 for a one-bedroom apartment unit is considered affordable by our city officials. With that much money being spent on rent alone, it is nearly impossible for young people to save for down-payments and mortgages, even when working well-paying full-time jobs.
