Neoliberalization and inequality: disparities in access to affordable housing in urban Canada 1981–2016

Abstract

The neoliberalization of housing policy and housing financialization have brought unequal impacts on housing outcomes. Drawing on eight waves of census data, this study uncovers the changing mechanism of housing stratification in selected Canadian census metropolitan areas from 1981 to 2016, a period when Canada transitioned from a welfare housing regime to a neoliberal regime. This study reveals entrenched housing inequality and strengthened income effect in determining access to affordable housing in the neoliberal era. Housing financialization has significantly contributed to intensified inequality in accessing affordable housing. Access to affordable housing in Canada is also stratified along the lines of gender and immigration status. Homeownership affordability for low-to-moderate-income households has significantly deteriorated over time, representing a new form of housing vulnerability in the neoliberal era.