Rent hikes, daycare waits and higher mortgages: affordability looms large for these Ontario voters

At 35, Hamilton resident Joe Struthers says he's one car repair away from crisis.

He eats toast for breakfast, skips lunch, and leans on leftovers for dinner to make it through the day.

In the same Stoney Creek neighbourhood as Struthers, Jessica Fawcett, an occupational therapist and a mother of two, says her family's financial future feels uncertain — squeezed by the lack of affordable daycare and the prospect of renewing her mortgage at a much higher interest rate next year.

Different lives, same issue: the rising cost of living has become impossible to ignore, and for many voters in the Hamilton area, it's the ballot-box question this federal election.

'There's no room for anything extra'

Struthers, who rents an apartment in the east Hamilton area, says each month feels like he's "just trying to survive." Despite years in the trades, he said the pay no longer supports a decent life. "Skilled labour just doesn't cut it anymore," he said.

He has picked up seasonal work hanging Christmas lights to help cover basic expenses but it hasn't been enough. "It doesn't get me ahead — it just helps me catch up," he told CBC Hamilton.

With food prices rising, his meals are limited to toast in the morning and dinner leftovers. "I check prices constantly — there's no room for anything extra." His rent also went up during the pandemic and hasn't increased since, but that offers little relief. "If my landlord decides to sell, I'd probably end up homeless," he said. "I couldn't afford anything else in the city." 

The ongoing financial pressure has shaped his politics. Frustrated by what he sees as government mismanagement and inflation driven by federal policy, Struthers said he's voting Conservative. "They [Liberals] have created a country that doesn't work for me."

His concerns come amid data showing that Canadians are spending more than ever on housing. In 2024, the average Hamilton home cost around $928,000, nearly double what it was just five years ago, according to a Hamilton Housing Market Report published by WOWA.ca.

Renting isn't much easier — a two-bedroom apartment in the city now averages more than $1,760 per month, a 13.7 per cent increase in just one year, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation's (CMHC) Fall 2024 Rental Market Report.

'Leadership matters'

Though prices have cooled slightly in recent months, affordability remains deeply out of reach for many.

Fawcett, the 33-year-old mother of two, said her family is doing okay for now, but just barely.

"The $10-a-day daycare program changed everything for us," she said, referring to an initiative under former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "It's the reason we haven't had to make sacrifices around food or other basics. But we only have a spot for one child — not the other. If I can't get a space in three weeks, I might be in a tough spot."

Fawcett is currently waitlisted at multiple centres, with some lists over 200 families long, she said. "The only private daycare with availability would cost us $2,000 a month — basically a full paycheck," she said.

That pressure is likely to grow. Fawcett and her partner locked in their mortgage when interest rates were low, but it's up for renewal next year. "We're doing okay now, but refinancing at a much higher rate could tip things... People need affordable places to live... Market solutions aren't working."

On affordability, she's looking for leadership at the federal level and plans to vote Liberal. "Programs like national daycare make a huge difference," she said. "They support families when they're still early in their careers and stretched the most. That kind of leadership matters."

Owning a home, but still feeling the pinch

Shri Kulkarni, a tech worker and a father in Burlington, thought buying a home would offer his family security. Instead, he says they're feeling the financial strain more than ever.

"We bought during the peak," he said. "Now mortgage rates are way up, and home values are down. We're stuck — can't sell, can't save, and every month costs us more."

His mortgage payments have jumped by nearly $3,000 a month. "We went from $4,500 to $6,500 — and it's not like we're paying down the house faster. It's all going toward interest." Kulkarni says they've already dipped deep into their savings to bridge the gap. "It's bleeding us slowly. We never planned for this."

To cope with costs, Kulkarni's family has cut back on almost everything — outings, travel, even kids' toys. "We've had to ask: do we really need this? Should we skip that visit to family? Is that club membership worth it?"

With affordability top of mind, Kulkarni said he is still somewhat undecided on who to vote for this election.

What major parties are promising to help ease cost of living

• The Conservative Party is promising to "restore the promise of homeownership" by building more homes and cutting taxes. Their plan would tie federal funding to housing targets, requiring cities to increase housing starts by 15 per cent annually or risk losing money. Municipalities that exceed targets would be rewarded, and those receiving transit funding would need to pre-approve high-density housing near stations. Conservatives also pledge to eliminate the GST on new homes up to $1.3 million, sell off federal land and buildings for affordable housing, and speed up housing approvals by overhauling the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

• The Green Party is calling for a national housing strategy focused on non-market housing, including co-ops and community land trusts, along with a moratorium on renovictions and better tenant protections.

• The Liberal Party says it will make it easier for Canadians to find an affordable place to live, with a 10-year, $20 billion plan for social infrastructure. That includes new investments in affordable housing and seniors' facilities, eliminating the GST on new capital investments in rental housing, and offering $125 million per year in tax incentives to boost rental supply. The party also promises to review housing prices in major markets to assess whether speculation is driving up costs.

• The NDP proposes to build 500,000 affordable homes over the next decade, double the GST rebate to help with rising costs, and create a "fast-start fund" to get affordable housing projects off the ground quickly. They also support permanent funding for affordable childcare, stronger protections for renters, and more aggressive federal intervention in housing markets to ensure affordability.

• The People's Party of Canada proposes tackling affordability by reducing demand. Their platform includes a moratorium on new permanent residents until the housing crisis eases, followed by lower immigration levels overall. They also propose dismantling or privatizing the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), oppose federal mandates to increase housing density, and want to change the Bank of Canada's inflation target from 2 to 0 per cent to reduce inflation pressures, including on housing.