No place for home: CBC series dives into Victoria's housing crisis
Emily Fagan | CBC News | Posted: March 2, 2023 2:00 PM | Last Updated: March 2, 2023
Some Greater Victoria residents are reconsidering their future in Canada's 3rd-most expensive rental market
High prices and low vacancy rates have left many residents feeling priced out of homeownership — and for some, the rental market — on southern Vancouver Island.
According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Greater Victoria is the third-most expensive rental market in Canada, after Toronto and Vancouver. At the end of 2022, the median price of single-family homes and condominiums combined was just over $1 million. The average one-bedroom rental was $2,073 a month.
Many residents told CBC News they are worried about what the housing crisis means for their futures — and their ability to afford to stay on the South Island.
CBC Victoria dove into the reasons behind this crisis, how it impacts people across the economic spectrum, and some possible solutions in a special week-long series titled "No Place For Home: Inside Vancouver Island's Housing Crisis," which you can find in the segments and articles below.
The scale of the housing struggle
CBC On the Island host Gregor Craigie spoke with series producer Emily Fagan about the struggles people have finding housing in Greater Victoria.
Greater Victoria's unaffordable housing market is forcing people into extreme situations
Across Greater Victoria, renters, homeowners, and those struggling with or on the verge of homelessness say that an increasingly unaffordable housing market is driving them to take extreme measures just to make ends meet. Several residents told CBC News they are worried about what it means for their futures — and their ability to afford to stay on the South Island.
Financial pressures felt across the housing spectrum
People living in the Greater Victoria area share stories about the pressures they are facing across the housing spectrum.
How did it get this bad?
Reporter Emily Fagan discusses the factors and policies that have contributed to the housing crisis on southern Vancouver Island.
Rising interest rates threaten family's pre-sale townhouse purchase
A Victoria family bought a pre-build in February 202, when interest rates were at rock bottom. Now, they are facing the possibility of not being able to afford their new home.
What does the housing crisis mean for creativity in Victoria?
CBC reporter Liz McArthur speaks with musicians about the cost of housing in Victoria and why some choose to leave.
The challenge of housing on Indigenous reserves
Many people see owning a home as a path to financial stability. But on Indigenous reserves, that isn't guaranteed.
Maynard Johnny Jr. is an artist who owns a home on the Penelakut Island reserve, off the east coast of Vancouver Island. He speaks to All Points West host Jason D'Souza about his efforts to buy a house off-reserve and the difficulties of selling his home on the reserve.
Housing affordability issues facing seniors
B.C. Seniors Advocate Isobel Mackenzie speaks about the unique issues seniors face when navigating the Island's housing crisis.
Renters in a dangerous time
Gregor Craigie speaks with David Cook, a Victorian renter worried about the future of his building.
Newcomers to Canada face unique challenges navigating the island's housing market
Karmen McNamara, the general manager of Help Ukraine Vancouver Island, speaks with Gregor Craigie.
International models for solving housing affordability struggles
CBC reporter Emily Fagan provides an overview of how some other countries have tried to provide affordable housing for residents.
A Victoria co-op offers 3 bedrooms for $1,000 a month — if you can get past the wait list
In a region where the average one-bedroom rental is $2,073 a month, co-op townhouses offering three bedrooms for $1,010 a month might seem unattainable to many. For many, it is — but it doesn't have to be this way. Around the world, there are models, some already in place on a smaller scale on Vancouver Island, that experts say could go a long way toward increasing affordability for those struggling to find affordable housing.
How is the province funding housing?
Following the budget update, Craigie speaks to Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon about how the province is tackling B.C.'s housing crisis.