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[GandiBaat]

I am not sure if it is indeed artificial. I was looking up the sizes of arable land by country and I found out that Canada is actually just one-third of India as far as usuable land is concerned.

Actually, it is. Look at the crown property %age of each province. The one with high price of housing always have 90%+ crown property aka public land.

If you took Canada's entire population and tried to fit that in just vancouver island, one of the more habitable part of canada, you will not have population densities reaching that of many european cities much less like that of Indian cities or Tokyo or Hong Kong.

People with houses here are really living large. And they want it to be that way only.

Here is a comparison. A good size lot or plot in India is 1800-2000 sqft. Here it will be considered too small in a number of municipalities. Its not uncommon to see lots of sizes 4000-6000 sqft. In some semi-rural (read just 20 minutes ride from city core), 10000 or even 15000 sqft lots are not uncommon. For a comparison, I have bought an attached house with 3300 sqft land in it that is completely my own. Besides that I get to use common areas like driveway and parking. And thats an attached house. True there are also smaller townhouses but most of them are exclusively built for rentals.

A general ambition of Canadians is to have backyard so that their dogs can run in it (previously it used to be kids but ... these days its dogs).

A lot of land is locked in forests or bushes. Some of it needs to be freed for residential purpose. That or some more density may not hurt. Its just that Canadians are very reluctant to it. Very. They care a lot about damn elks living in forests but not homeless on streets.

 

[GandiBaat]

Oh the irony of 3 immigrants sharing a bedroom which is a common sight in most Canadian cities. Do the people in their McMansions not realize that the children of these same immigrants would be running their country one day.

It's almost like being Canadian means not giving a shit about your own future in this country.

Its NIMBY culture through and through in many parts of Canada. They want more houses for more people but not here. "Not in my neighbourhood."

They call insane appreciation of land or house value as "Hard earned money". Yeah they are THIS self indulgent. Just getting ONE single rezoning of a 10000 sqft lot into 3-4 townhouses is like fighting a war with these folks.

And then they wonder why local businesses are closing down due to increased cost or why all nurses have fled to USA or why there is no caregivers available or why emergency rooms have so few staff.

I mean if ontario or BC released even 5% more land from crown properties, it will help a lot! Or if 10,000 sqft lots are allowed to be rezoned into 2500 sqft ones, it will almost immediately solve a lot of housing problems! But no!

 

[ImpatientDragon]

Oh the irony of 3 immigrants sharing a bedroom which is a common sight in most Canadian cities. Do the people in their McMansions not realize that the children of these same immigrants would be running their country one day.

It's almost like being Canadian means not giving a shit about your own future in this country.

People like to live in the moment and why should someone sacrifice their comfort for someone else's children. That's the attitude general pop has these days.

 

[GandiBaat]

I think sooner or later, they will start releasing more land for mixed development. I work in a white canadian dominated office and even they are feeling the pinch, and most of them own some kinda property, mostly through inheritance. People who want to start a family have to move back in with their parents or they get relatives to pool resources and get a 4 bedroom house for like 6-7 people. Just today I had a discussion with a coworker about that situation and how will be paying 500 per head if they do that. I did not expect a white Canadian to say things you mostly ever hear from a newcomer immigrant.

It will become a bipartisan issue, like immigration, and iirc, it was a conservative PM who introduced express entry.
Maybe that will happen or new immigrants will start leaving in droves like they are arriving here and that will force them to take action. And the word is definitely getting around that this situation is massively artificial.

White Canadians, blue collar people, hate Trudeau!

Its a bit more convoluted than this.

One reason immigration typically gets support or tolerance from Canadians in general is because it causes property price appreciation. You take that away, with no real economy, Canada becomes a dire place.

Infact, this is one reason because of that Quebec is still sticking with Canada. Immigrants and property appreciation. There was a well researched youtube video on this that I saw some times back. This is how liberals enticed Quebecers after their premier got duped in kitchen cabinet meeting during repatriation of constitution.

Also releasing land is more of a provincial thing and less of a federal thing IIRC. Federal government can release the crown properties they own which are mostly developed or are under. military use but ultimately, the land in provinces are controlled by provincial governments.

Lastly, the ones who really really gain from this situation are old canadians who are a majoring voting block. Unlike millennials they DO VOTE. So, for land release to happen, their number will need to go down. That will happen eventually.

 

[Deleted member 1006777]

To the people who moved to Canada recently, is it worth it to try and find housing before moving? Or am I basically forced to move and get an Airbnb while I try to find housing? Also, if I don't secure a job before moving, how do I navigate not having a credit dscore or payslips in the country?

@RSub @GandiBaat and anyone else who has an idea.

 

[Deleted member 994371]

To the people who moved to Canada recently, is it worth it to try and find housing before moving? Or am I basically forced to move and get an Airbnb while I try to find housing? Also, if I don't secure a job before moving, how do I navigate not having a credit dscore or payslips in the country?

@RSub @GandiBaat and anyone else who has an idea.

Instead of a AirBnb, try booking a hostel through booking.com. You only have to pay when you check-in, and you can cancel like 3 days before arriving. You may want to book one in advance because the best ones get booked 15 days ahead.

You can book multiple hostels (in 2 weeks duration) so that if you find a room (let's be honest here, you ain't renting a entire basement or house), you can just cancel your booking and save all the money.

 

[Deleted member 1006777]

Instead of a AirBnb, try booking a hostel through booking.com. You only have to pay when you check-in, and you can cancel like 3 days before arriving. You may want to book one in advance because the best ones get booked 15 days ahead.

You can book multiple hostels (in 2 weeks duration) so that if you find a room (let's be honest here, you ain't renting a entire basement or house), you can just cancel your booking and save all the money.

Oh hostels are an excellent idea. Airbnbs are insanely expensive too.

 

[GandiBaat]

To the people who moved to Canada recently, is it worth it to try and find housing before moving? Or am I basically forced to move and get an Airbnb while I try to find housing? Also, if I don't secure a job before moving, how do I navigate not having a credit dscore or payslips in the country?

If you are single, I agree with @Impatient Elephant.

If you are NOT and moving with your family, look for serviced apartments or airbnb. My employer used these fellows : ABODA (https://www.aboda.com/). It might get pricey. I will suggest, move alone, get a job, get apartment, then move family.

Trouble with airbnb is that it is hit or miss. Some airbnbs tend to be really sketchy. I used airbnb once and it had an unsafe socket with wires showing up. I had a 10 months old whom we had to keep strapped in the stroller all the time, even inside the apartment due to this. Also go for those airbnbs with no sharing and no presence of host. That is usually studio apartment.

Ofcourse you can look at hotels too. If you book in advance, you can get some decent deals.

Now coming to credit score. Not every land lord checks it. BUT they will certainly check your job references! So you will have to have a job before getting an apartment.

 

[Deleted member 994371]

Oh hostels are an excellent idea. Airbnbs are insanely expensive too.

Another advantage of a popular hostel is the location. Most of them are in downtown, meaning you can just take the subway to go around the city and get fresh off the boat coolie stuff done easily.

Thank god they were established back in the 80s (most the popular ones are old, but rebuilt). No one can afford to make a hostel in downtown now lol.

They will also have a locker where you can keep all your valuables. Be sure to read the reviews and buy a lock (to put on the locker). They will probably sell one yourself but buy from one India (I recommend a small Harrison which has a Make in India seal to remind you of home) rather than paying 10 bucks for the cheap chinese one at the reception.

 

[Deleted member 1006777]

If you are single, I agree with @Impatient Elephant.

If you are NOT and moving with your family, look for serviced apartments or airbnb. My employer used these fellows : ABODA (https://www.aboda.com/). It might get pricey. I will suggest, move alone, get a job, get apartment, then move family.

Trouble with airbnb is that it is hit or miss. Some airbnbs tend to be really sketchy. I used airbnb once and it had an unsafe socket with wires showing up. I had a 10 months old whom we had to keep strapped in the stroller all the time, even inside the apartment due to this. Also go for those airbnbs with no sharing and no presence of host. That is usually studio apartment.

Ofcourse you can look at hotels too. If you book in advance, you can get some decent deals.

Now coming to credit score. Not every land lord checks it. BUT they will certainly check your job references! So you will have to have a job before getting an apartment.

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

 

[navinball]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

They live 20 to a room.

 

[Deleted member 994371]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

They don't. They share a room with 2 other immigrants in the same room. A private bathroom is considered a luxuy in the 2nd largest country in the world.

 

[GandiBaat]

Which makes me wonder, how do international students get housing when they don't have jobs or a credit history?

My wife has access to university housing assistance. Most international student before even coming to canada look for options for housing via that early on. Some of them live in hall of residence in university, some of them are placed in nearby private rental based housing options -- which are basically what @navinball said. Some landlords explictly advertise their suites for students and do not require much of checking. They DO expect you to be enrolled in a university. Some of them are very sketchy in the sense they do not even sign rental agreements with international students and take rent in cash.

If you are studying with Lambda university its most the later I guess.

 

[ImpatientDragon]

They live 20 to a room.

Ofcourse you would be the one to know.

 

[navinball]

Ofcourse you would be the one to know.

I only allow 6 per room in my house for safety and keep up with the city's fire hazard code.