'Things are really bad': The housing crisis is a priority for many Canadian voters this federal election | CBC News

Iuri Rezende Souza said he can carry two apartments in his hometown in Brazil, but in Kitchener, Ont., where he now lives, he can't even afford a down payment.

"What I can afford is basically vacant lands," the Kitchener Centre voter told CBC News.

Souza said his best path to home ownership since arriving in Canada five years ago would be to buy a vacant lot and put a trailer on it.

"My mom said: 'If you're living in a trailer, what's the point of moving to Canada? You should just move back,'" said Souza.

With home prices and rental rates continuing to climb in the country, Souza isn't alone. He's just one of many respondents to a CBC News election survey that found housing is what matters most to them during this campaign for the April 28 vote.

For Canadians hoping to buy their first home, the message is clear — they want action from Ottawa and they want it now.

Souza isn't convinced federal politicians ar...
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