Canadians want more alternative home ownership options, survey shows

CONSUMER Canadians want more alternative home ownership options, survey shows By Ariel Rabinovitch Global News Posted September 23, 2026 11:44 am 3 min read A new survey conducted by rates-dot-ca has found that close to 50 per cent of Canadians who renewed their mortgages this year have seen housing costs balloon to more than half of their paycheque – Aug 11, 2026 LEAVE A COMMENT SHARE THIS ITEM ON FACEBOOK SHARE THIS ITEM ON X SEND THIS PAGE TO SOMEONE VIA EMAIL SEE MORE SHARING OPTIONS DESCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE INCREASE ARTICLE FONT SIZE As housing affordability remains a challenge for millions of Canadians amid the heightened cost of living, a new survey suggests many are open to alternative options like modular homes if it means getting easier access to the real estate market. The survey report was released Tuesday from Meridian Credit Union, which asked 1,500 Canadian consumers as well as a national panel of 250 construction industry owners, operators and executives between May 13 and June 8, 2026, about their outlook on the housing market. More than three-quarters (77 per cent) of consumers said housing attainability is a critical issue for Canada’s future, and nearly two-thirds (62 per cent) said they would consider non-traditional housing options such as modular, prefabricated or tiny homes for getting into home ownership. Modular or prefabricated homes are houses or other permanent shelters that get built in factories either as individual sections or components. Those homes and are shipped to customers to be assembled relatively quickly and at a lower cost than building a home on site from scratch. STORY CONTINUES BELOW ADVERTISEMENT Purchasing a home that is prefabricated or modular can mean a lower purchase price for consumers, and more affordable mortgage options compared to traditional homes that may have cost more to build. Younger survey participants may be more inclined to consider these options, with 87 per cent of Millennials and 81 per cent of Gen Z reporting ongoing stress relating to housing costs. Get breaking Montreal news Get breaking Montreal news delivered to your inbox as it happens so you won't miss a trending story. SIGN UP FOR BREAKING MONTREAL NEWSLETTER GET STARTED BY PROVIDING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS, YOU HAVE READ AND AGREE TO GLOBAL NEWS' TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY. “Canadians are showing us that homeownership is no longer one-size-fits-all,” said Jay-Ann Gilfoy, president and CEO of Meridian Credit…