• sbv@sh.itjust.works
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    8 months ago

    I’ve been feeling the housing crisis for the past few years, and I’ve been listening to podcasts and reading articles about the headwinds construction is facing. Canada has an aging, shrinking construction sector. There aren’t enough skilled or unskilled labourers to keep up with demand.

    The consensus is that trend will continue. I haven’t heard commentators say that immigration is revitalizing the sector. I haven’t heard anything about significant policy changes that will attract out prioritize immigrant construction workers.

    The closest was an announcement about a path to citizenship for people working construction illegally. But that only applies to people who are already here, so I don’t think it really counts.

    There was a pre-budget announcement a week or two ago saying that the feds would be jiggling the admission criteria to attract construction workers. I hope it works. It makes sense to try something new.

    • MaxHardwood@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      Do any of those sources you’ve been following call out that there are empty homes owned by investors and other types of landlords because it’s cheaper to let it sit empty than lower rent? There are no homeless families waiting for housing to be built?

      Our housing crisis is artificial because Canada turned real estate into a retirement plan

    • Victor Villas@lemmy.ca
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      8 months ago

      So all that you have is the an absence of evidence whether the trades-focused immigration program is having an effect or not… “Revitalizing” was not the initial thesis.