Fewer condos, more family-sized homes needed in Ontario: poll

More people want family-sized housing rather than condos, a new poll has found.

Condo units are typically a less expensive way to get into the housing market, and for many people, the only affordable option to buy.

Over 1.8 million people live in condo buildings in Ontario, according to the Condominium Authority of Ontario.

A total of 281 new condominium corporations were registered from 2024 to 2025, the authority states on its website.

Condo development has grown over the past 40 years.

While single-detached houses were once the dominant housing type in Ontario, comprising about 95 per cent of new homes built in the 1950s, mid- and high-rise condominium development activity began to rise starting in the 1960s and intensifying in the 1990s, a report from Ontario’s Municipal Property Assessment Corporation states.

By 2020, condo development had surpassed single-detached houses, with approximately 41 per cent of new residential builds being condos and around 38 per cent being single-detached, the report found.

But the condo market has been in a downturn for over four years, a report from Urbanation stated.

Condo unit sales have declined to a new 35-year low, Urbanation said in a report last month.

In the first quarter of 2026, 246 new condominiums were sold in the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area, down 52 per cent annually and 94 per cent below the 10-year average for first quarter periods (4,046 sales).

“For the first time in at least 30 years, there were no new project launches during the quarter,” Urbanation said.

Readers seem to think there are enough condos on the market right now.

INsauga.com asked: Do you think too many condos are being built compared to family-sized housing?

Most people, 3,092 (85.84 per cent), said yes. Another 510 (14.16 per cent) said no.

Poll disclaimer: This poll reflects the views of participating readers and is not a scientific sample. Participation was voluntary and limited to the publication’s audience.

Lead photo: Isaak Jahn