this post was submitted on 26 Dec 2023
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A year ago, the federal government instituted a foreign buyer ban after passing the Prohibition on the Purchase of Residential Property by Non-Canadians Act in 2022. The two-year ban, which came into effect on Jan. 1, barred non-citizens, non-permanent residents and foreign controlled companies from buying up Canadian property as an investment.

But Wallace says that ban didn't do much for her family.

"There's all of these very luxurious buildings going in all around us that are outrageously priced," said Wallace, after attending an open house at a promising $1.1-million condo. "The foreign buyers tax … I don't think that's making an iota of difference."

Critics say the foreign buyers ban, which was aimed at making housing affordable for Canadians, had many exemptions and was more of a political manoeuvre. They say it's clear housing remains out of reach for too many in Canada, and that the country should look to other places in the world to find strategies to foster home ownership.

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[–] Ryan213 33 points 1 year ago (8 children)

What's the number between foreign buyers vs multiple homes owners? We need tighter rules on both if anything's going to make a dent on housing affordability.

[–] [email protected] 22 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (7 children)

What's the number between foreign buyers

There's a video by Economics Explained that reviews this law change from an economic perspective. At around the 10 minute mark, he shows a chart of the country that breaks down provincial reporting of foreign property purchases. Not every province tracks this stat, but for those that do, foreign buyers are responsible for around 3%-6% of all purchases. Even then, this law didn't ban all of those purchases. There were so many exceptions that most foreign buyers could still buy all the property they wanted. I'm not sure that anyone tracks if a property buyer already owns property.

The video suggests, as does the OP article, that this was likely a political stunt to make it seem like the government is doing something while not actually doing anything. Actually lowering house prices comes with economic negatives. For people who already own houses, their house could then be worth less than their mortgage, a decline in GDP figures which many see as an indication of a recession, and a decline in stock market value since so much of it is now tied to real estate assets. The government wants to avoid hurting the economy while appeasing people who see houses as something to live in and not as a financial asset.

[–] Ryan213 4 points 1 year ago

Thanks! I think I remember reading something about this "ban" that it really isn't a ban, just extra hurdles that can be circumvented.

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