New Insights into Non-Permanent Residents in Canada’s Housing Market

Recent data released by Statistics Canada reveals that non-permanent residents have a minimal presence in Canada’s housing ownership landscape.

Key Findings:

• Less than 1 percent of homeowners in Canada are non-permanent residents, encompassing temporary workers, international students, and refugee claimants.
• Across all provinces, the ownership share of non-permanent residents remains below 0.5 percent, with Prince Edward Island having the highest proportion at 0.39 percent and Alberta the lowest at 0.10 percent. Ontario and British Columbia stand at 0.13 percent.
• Homeownership rates among non-permanent residents are notably low, with only 1.64 percent in Ontario and 1.41 percent in British Columbia being homeowners. In contrast, over 40 percent of recent permanent residents and nearly half of Canadian-born individuals own homes.

Statistics Canada attributes this disparity to the temporary nature of non-permanent status, lower and less stable incomes, limited credit history, and younger age demographics. Overall, the data indicates that non-permanent residents have a negligible influence on homeownership trends in Canada.