One-Third of Canadian Non-Homeowners Want to Buy Within a Year — But Expect to Stay Renters. What the Affordability Gap Means for Greater Vancouver.

A June 17, 2026 consumer sentiment report from personal financing company NerdWallet Canada reveals a stark split between housing ambition and financial reality. More than one-third of Canadian non-homeowners say they want to purchase a home within the next year, yet they expect to remain renters or continue living with relatives instead. The survey also found that Canadians broadly view housing as overpriced and unfair to first-time buyers. This is not a story about lack of interest in ownership; it is a story about buyers looking at the numbers and concluding the math does not work for them right now. For the Greater Vancouver market, where affordability pressures are already a persistent theme, this national sentiment helps explain why transaction volumes can remain constrained even when buyer desire appears strong.

The gap between wanting to buy and expecting to buy has direct consequences for how local markets function. When a sizeable share of the population is effectively locked out of purchase eligibility, the pool of active buyers shrinks relative to the number of people who actually want to own. This creates a market where sellers may encounter plenty of online browsing and open-house traffic but fewer offers that actually clear financing and closing hurdles. It also means rental demand gets reinforced, as those sidelined buyers continue competing for lease stock rather than transitioning into ownership. In Greater Vancouver, this dynamic can segment the market sharply: properties priced for entry-level buyers may see softer engagement if that cohort is priced out, while move-up and premium segments operate on different rules entirely, often driven by equity and existing ownership rather than first-time entry.