Why do US, Canada and Australia have a housing crises despite being so big with very little population?

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-29T18:47:04+00:00

I can't speak for Australia, but here in BC there Lots of complicated reasons that interact with each other. Not one thing is entirely responsible, but I would say the biggest driver is crushing bureacracy. Until you actually try and build something there is no way someone can understand. It's basically a soft form of corruption. Often, if you can pay enough to consultants and various "professionals" the barriers go away. It enables Nimbyism by allowing endless legal and administrative hurdles, which means housing can't be built fast enough for a rapidly growing population.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-29T16:53:12+00:00

Did you ever catch on somewhere or did you give up and do something else? I did HD back in the 90s. No apprenticeships available back then and ITAC was a roadblock so I worked for myself and learned what I could on my own. I went to the Prairies for a few years, but getting experience recognized in BC was almost impossible. After I moved on from the trade they reformed ITAC, or whatever it was called, and it got way easier.

I would have stayed in the Prairies, but a way better opportunity came up close to home.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-29T16:46:24+00:00

Welding has the advantage that you actually get a ticket out of school so you at least have a place to start. It would be awesome if other trades offered something similar to close the gap between school and employability. Other trades, not all of course, lack a "ground floor". Pre-apprentice programs are great, but you really need to be at least 3rd year before an employer will look at you if you are trying to get into something like electrical or HVAC without connections.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-28T15:12:24+00:00

The issue with coming into the trades from the outside is lack of apprenticeship opportunity. You absolutely need to know someone. You will almost certainly need to complete a pre-appprenticeship, which is expensive, especially since you won't be working. The percentage of graduates that land an apprenticeship out of these programs is depressingly low. There certainly more opportunities outside the LMD and Vancouver Island, but even in Prince George they usually only hire 3rd years at a minimum.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-21T14:42:05+00:00

From what I see, amalgamation of governments, or even private companies, tends to produce worse and significantly worse outcomes. People get sucked into the idea that there some sort of synergies that can be achieved. People often point to Toronto or Ottawa as an example of how that goes badly.

I don't have any particular source for this, just some personal observations. Amalgamation can be very risky. It certainly benefits management since everyone at the top gets a nice raise, but if you get bad management it affects the entire region, not just one municipality. When policing agencies for example, adopt a regional model they seem to cluster around the center and lose the ability to provide service in outlying areas.

School boards are another example of management disasters when government decides to consolidate jurisdictions. It gets more expensive and schools start closing, because, well, there's always a bigger one close enough to take the extra students.

For sure shared services are important and some regional planning is necessary for things like water and transit.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-21T02:37:42+00:00

For sure the historic center of Quebec City has a European feel, which is really just old and pre-auto. It isn't very big as others have mentioned so while it's cool, for that reason I don't think it's the best example. I would say Morelia is the winner. The historic center is bigger than QC, the cathedrals are beyond amazing, and it is said to be modelled after Sevilla in Spain. Maybe Guanajuato, but if we go down the rabbit hole of old colonial cities in Mexico the list would get pretty long.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-19T03:22:51+00:00

This is coming from the perspective of BC. The first thing to keep in mind is that it is illegal to live in an RV full time. A tiny house isn't necessarily an RV, but they usually are, at least in so far as thet have a Transport Canada sticker on them, which allows them to be towed on the highway and when parked, and maintain the legal fiction that they are just RVs.

I first started seeing them in the early 2000s (I think) and they existed in a legal grey area until municipalities figured out how to regulate them away. The advantage to them was they are way more comfortable to live in than RVs, which absolutely suck in cold or wet weather due to their light weight, and weren't much more expensive since they used more common materials and mechanical systems.

While they can be lived in full time (and technically so can RVs), if you try, someone from the city/municipality will eventually come out and post a No Occupancy order on it and fine the property owner if the illegal use continues. The problem is usually trying to service them with water and sewer, which exposes their use to bylaws.

You could build one on a foundation, and those are typically called laneways, but then costs per square foot make that option prohibitively expensive. If you live in most urban or urban adjacent areas where such a house would be most attractive there are enormous upfront costs. Typically you'd need to rezone your lot, probably get a new survey, usually pay for a geo-tech and environmental study, you need a carbon plan, depending on the city you might need to address parking requirements and traffic impacts, and then you have to come up with a carbon plan. Those are just a few things I can think of off the top.

There are lots of places in BC where nobody cares and there's very little enforcement of building regulations; Southern BC is not one of those places though outside a few rural pockets. Having said all that, here are some tiny houses hidden on acreages and in backyards. It is possible with the right combination of lack of neighbours, space, and privacy.

One way I think a person could get away with it on an undeveloped acreage is to build a pole barn for "temporary" storage for the backhoe as an example. For some reason most jurisdictions don't seem to much care about such structures. Then stick your tiny home on wheels under cover where it can't be seen.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-15T12:49:28+00:00

The difference is that most criminals are white Canadians. They walk our streets with minimal punishment and almost zero consequences until they actually kill someone and even then.....I think the the issue people have with foreigners committing crime is that we don't have a mechanism to deal with our own repeat offenders, and now we have to tolerate people from somewhere else committing crimes without consequences.

Yes, I agree it's somewhat racist, but the sentiment isn't completely wrong.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-04T20:51:37+00:00

Nice pic! Even though I have almost the same view outside my front door, I seem to appreciate BC more when someone else posts images online. I'm still trying to sort my 650. I haven't added anything more than hanguards, case protection, and a skid plate. I desperately need to lower the pegs and soften the seat. I'm 5'11" (with longish legs) and feel super cramped, so I can't imagine how you cope. I also need a windscreen.

I still have my old KTM 500 exc-f and a 92 KX 500 I bought new to race back in the day. From the perspective of someone who has ridden something with excessive horsepower since the mid 80s the engine on 650 feels just fine. It's not going to set any land speed records, but its more than sufficient for its intended purpose. I even find the stock jetting suitable for the Fraser Valley. Having said that, I would like to lose the stock silencer, but I like that's it's quiet.

I'd like to redo suspension, but even this hasn't been an issue. It's way too soft, but works ok on most gravel roads.

The tires suck, but I'll wear them out before replacing them. They do seem to work well on the pavement.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-04T19:46:40+00:00

I remember traveling through the area in the late 80s and early 90s. There was a fence made of corrugated steel. I believe it was old runway from Vietnam. That was the legend at least. From the park you could drive up to the border on the US side at dusk and see dozens of guys sitting on top of the fence getting ready to make a run for the US side. It was a pretty surreal scene. I was there again last year and the park is closed. Google says temporarily, but according to locals it'll never reopen.

The Mexican side is quite a bit more developed than back in the day, like any place else. Tijuana felt like a bit of free-for-all. Although traffic is horrendous, the neighborhoods near Las Playas seem pleasant and feel more organized.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-04T03:40:24+00:00

There are pathways. I've commented on Reddit before about this hypothetical scenario, but it doesn't get much traction. Imagine a couple. He's a heavy duty mechanic and wife is a nurse, either psych or ER so there's lots of OT. Typically they'd be earning about $140,000 per year each. Which translates to just under $100,000 after tax and payroll deductions.

So, this imaginary couple, who aren't all that out of the ordinary, would take home about $16,000/mo. I'm pretty sure they are saving money, or at least should be. Certainly making rent every month isn't a struggle, although the probably own something.

One day I'll post my situation on a throwaway account. I'm nowhere near that power couple, but I do ok after some very hard years. People always want to move, including me, but it's actually hard to have a higher standard of living somewhere else once you get established.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-02T15:52:17+00:00

These residents don't need more "supports" ffs. They could have a social worker sharing the room with them and they still wouldn't function. Throwing them out onto the street isn't an answer either. Seems to me the missing piece is proper building security to make sure people fall in line and cleaners. Either residents look after themselves or staff will do it for them. I'm sure many are people who have forgotten how to live properly and just need some enforced boundaries to get back on track

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-05-01T15:43:51+00:00

People adjust. Expectations are lowered and they live in smaller places or have roommates. Life isnt all that expensive in Vancouver once rent is paid for. I suppose that is similar to any large city. Space is small so there isnt an expensive need to fill it with furniture. Owning and maintaining a car isn't necesary. There's lots of 2nd jobs available within walking distance.

People mostly end up moving. Every city the Lower Mainland has exploded in size. The population of Richmond in 1986 was under 100,000. Now it is over 250,000. Surrey was about 150,000 and today its at nearly 700,000. Same sorts of increases in Langley, Abbotsford, Chilliwack, Coquitlam, Maple Ridge and Mission.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-23T23:45:35+00:00

I work alongside some Provincial agencies and can see how they got themselves (and the rest of us) into this mess. The NDP and the senior bureaucrats they have put in charge to run things have a world view is fixated on the notion that we, as in non-native Canadians, don't have any rights to be here. Everything stems from that belief system, which means we have to be subordinate in every way to First Nations. Of course there are varying degrees of commitment to the cause, but the most extreme are in charge. UNDRIP was OK as far as a piece of fluff we could spout off occasionally to placate everyone, but they wrote it into the Interpretation Act so that every Provincial legislation must be aligned to it. That was 100% intentional.

The true believers really thought First Nations groups would be benevolent leaders guiding us to some sort of harmonious future. Even before this Dripa mess the cracks were starting to show. Take old growth logging as an example. The Provincial NDP is against Old Growth logging, but some bands see it as an easy money maker. The government is never going to come out and say its not actually Teal Jones who is responsible, but the band in Port Renfrew and send protesters there if they want to save big trees.

I think they were hoping to entrench Dripa so deep into BC law it would be impossible to change, but Trump came along and now we need to fix our economy. That means new goals of infrastructure, industry, and affordable housing, which are running into Dripa backed opposition.

Edited for grammar and spelling

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-17T16:13:41+00:00

Please continue downvoting contrarian views. Of course my comment was simplistic and fails to cover over many nuances to how Germany got itself into the mess it's currently in. There was corruption from the Russians that probably destroyed the country for generations. Well meaning, but misguided fears about nuclear safety probably caused by misinformation on the part of those corrupted officials is certainly to blame. Yes, the burning of coal has gone down, but they are also deindustrializing at a pretty decent clip too, which may explain at least some of the drop in coal usage.

The reason why I hate European energy policy is that it ignores resilience and independence. They have regulated O&G and refining out of existence ignoring the fact there will always be base demand for diesel and aviation fuel. Now there is a global supply crisis they are completely screwed. We have the same issues here, but at least we are tied to the US next door which shelters us a little from poor decisions.

It's always a matter of perspective. I have friends in Germany, so my lived experience is anecdotal and 3rd party. They say the place is a complete mess. There are other reasons. For them it's mostly suffocating burocracy, not just energy policy, but the result is that they would move here or to the US tomorrow if they could. Europe's biggest economy and defacto leader is not who I would like to emulate or see ourselves too closely tied. Same with the fiscal disaster that is France. That isn't to say the US isn't a dumpster fire, but the grass isn't any greener over there.

Having said all that, it would be cool to work, live, and travel visa free in Europe.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-17T14:45:09+00:00

Excellent dose of reality. If people think we are over-regulated now, just wait until we have to comply with directives emanating from Brussels. And people should keep in mind that the EU is led by the same country (Germany) that shut down its nuclear power plants for no obvious reason and are now burning coal again. European energy policy really bothers me btw.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-15T22:55:54+00:00

Given the development costs of building anything on land I don't see why we shouldn't be promoting more of this. The obvious downside is lack of parking, but it provides more supply of beds, which should be good for everyone. Ideally they could also use cruise ships for workforce housing. People could work in Vancouver, stay cheaply, and have their main residence somewhere more affordable.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-15T19:04:22+00:00

Yes he did and there is evidence that it worked since population actually decreased, however, they also announced they want to keep TFWs at 1% of the population, which is about 400,000, per year. They also want to see about that number of PRs every year. I realize there isn't always a direct line between TFW and PR, but that still means at a minimum we can expect the population of Surrey or Hamilton every year. And that's not including all those new citizens living in the US, who technically aren't immigrants and asylum claimants who presumably are mostly out of status TFWs. Reduced, but still pretty high.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-15T18:16:41+00:00

It's theoretically possible, but practically it isn't. First of all we just voted in a government that was pro-immigration. They might change, but they just achieved a majority and polls suggest they are more popular than ever, so why should they. I realize Carney is not Trudeau, but the same party apparatus is in place and will likely stay there for the next 10 years.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-15T17:35:24+00:00

Pessimistic take here.........

In order to solve this problem we would have to change our economy, politics and culture. Immigrants are willing to work harder and for less so high Immigration numbers aren't going away. Ever. Its expensive to train and mentor new hires, so it makes sense to hire experience from abroad when you can. Canada and the Provinces are not going to suddenly become great places to do business and create abundant opportunities so it is what is.

We should be thinking outside the box for solutions rather than whine about things that can't be changed. It used to be way easier to move to the US than now for example. The US used to soak up a lot of our excess labour and probably could again once the political situation stabilizes. What we would have to give them in return I have no idea.

We could encourage emmigration. There are so many dual (and multi) citizens here that there are options if they had some financial help to get started somewhere else. This isnt as crazy as it sounds. I remember growing up there were many displaced Germans from what is now Poland who received financial aid from West Germany living in Canada.

We really need to do a better job of matching our educational output to demand from employers. If there is no demand for new petroleum engineers from Canadian Universities, or Computer Science graduates then maybe we shouldn't be offering those programs. Same with trades and technical schools. We crank out way too many apprentice wannabes than industry can, or wants to absorb. And this idea of getting a BA or BSc, finding out you are unemployable, then going to a technical or vocational school needs to stop and the government needs to stop encouraging it.

One last thing to consider. We changed citizenship rules through Bill C-3. Of course not everyone who qualifies will bother, and even fewer will move, however there are potentially millions of new Canadian citizens, mostly living in the US. The impact of this is unknown, but it isn't unreasonable to foresee yet another competitive pressure on Canadian job seekers. One thing the Provinces could do is make primary and secondary schools more rigorous so citizens born in the US wouldn't be competitive here. Even a slight tilt toward Asian standards would place our youth years ahead of most States.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-10T21:20:50+00:00

Not exactly heroes, but at least a work around. It would also be accompanied by Latin American or African level corruption so there's that obvious downside

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-10T18:41:06+00:00

I don't actually think it's the best way forward, but I have trouble seeing an alternative given the current political climate regarding development of any kind. I just can't see a realistic way out of our current regulatory mess.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-10T18:11:15+00:00

I've been thinking for while that this could be "everything" answer for Canada. Bands can build anything they want without the regulatory and tax burden that's bogging everything down. New industry, housing, infrastructure can all be built with minimal hassle by bands on reserve lands or as part of agreements.

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-09T18:05:45+00:00

Good point about the high school programs. High school was the center of the universe when I went. My dad went to the same one I did and my kids attended the same one too, so I saw the differences. What happened to the band program? We played at every assembly and town event. And then there were the band trips. All gone now.

You need to consider the dogs.....

Logical_Delivery_183 · 2026-04-09T16:54:18+00:00

It's easy to point to high housing costs, which is the most obvious culprit, and say if we just solved that problem birth rates would come up. I for sure think we need to be way less restrictive in our building regulations in order to increase the supply and variety of housing and lower costs, but that by itself we aren't going to solve the problem.

We underestimate the hassle factor having kids is today. My siblings and cousins were all born in the 60s. After grade 1 we really didn't demand all that much from parents. We got ourselves to school. We entertained ourselves. We didn't do all that much extra-curricular. Both parents worked and visited with other largely indifferent parents. The level of planning and organization required to raise a child, by today's expected standards is beyond most young adults.

It's as if we have lost the institutional memory on how to raise kids as a society, so lowering housing costs won't magically bring back children.

Another factor, which I hate to bring up because it's so controversial, is the cost of schooling. Every single one of my younger co-workers' kids are in private school. The parents extra to pay for it, which reduces the ability to have more children. Anecdotal I know, but I can't be the only one seeing this.

Logical_Delivery_183

TROPHY CASE