The fastest growing residential construction sector in Canada is apartment buildings of five or more storeys. This is the Brooklyn in downtown Kelowna.

(ROB MUNRO / iNFOnews.ca)

When it comes to households struggling to pay their shelter costs, it’s more manageable for homeowners than renters in Kelowna and Kamloops.

That pattern applies across the country but the differences vary greatly between the two cities, according to Statistics Canada data from the 2021 census released today, Sept. 21.

The good news is across the country fewer people are paying more than 30% of their income for shelter.

READ MORE: Stats Canada says Canada's home ownership rate falls in latest 2021 census release

In Canada, 24.1% of residents paid more than 30% for shelter in 2016. That dropped to 20.9% in 2021.

B.C. was above the Canadian average at 28% in 2016 then falling to 25.6% in 2021.

Kelowna was near the provincial average at 25.6% in 2021 but in its downtown core 36.3% of residents were paying more than 30% of their income on shelter.

Kamloops fared much better with only 18.5% of residents spending more than 30% of their income on shelter in 2021 and 24% in its downtown.

When it comes to owning versus renting, only 17.8% of Kelowna owners paid more than 30% while 43.7% of renters were in that unaffordable range in 2021.

Again, Kamloops fared better with 11.6% of owners and 36.1% of renters paying more than 30%.

The data released by StatsCan doesn't include a breakdown for smaller communities.

READ MORE: Indigenous people more likely to have housing issues as population grows: StatCan

The data also shows that fewer people own their own homes (66.5% in 2021 versus 69% in 2011) as the market shifts to more apartments.

Before 2011, apartments made up less than 40% of building permits but that has climbed to 68.1% since then with 73.2% of building permits in 2021 for apartments.

Many of those units are in buildings with five or more storeys, which was the fastest growing building type between 2016 and 2021.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Rob Munro or call 250-808-0143 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above. 

News from © iNFOnews, 2022