Here's why it's difficult to build housing and why it should inform your municipal election vote

It's no secret that Ontario is in the midst of a housing crisis — something that's felt most acutely in its biggest cities. 

Price increases over the past decade have crushed the dream of home ownership for many.

Meanwhile, the supply of housing of all kinds isn't keeping up with the demands of a growing population.

"We need market housing. We need rental housing. We need affordable housing," said David Amborski, director of the Centre for Urban Research and Land Development at Toronto Metropolitan University. 

"We're behind on all of them."

While housing is an issue touched by all levels of government in Canada, it's probably one of the most important issues in the upcoming municipal elections on Oct. 24. Voters have a crucial opportunity to choose leaders who will be responsible for taking action in their cities and towns.

With that in mind, CBC Toronto is breaking down some of the reasons why it's so difficult to build housing, so voters can decide which candidates' platforms best respond to the crisis.

Premier Doug Ford has adopted a target of building 1.5 million homes in 10 years, a goal recommended by the government-commissioned Housing Affordability Task Force earlier this year. 

It's a monumental task that requires accelerating the current pace of new construction. About 100,000 new housing units and 13,000 rental units were started in 2021, according to the province.

But the official growth plans of many of Ontario's 444 municipalities are planning for much lower building figures, Mike Moffatt, an economist with the Smart Prosperity Institute at the University of Ottawa, told CBC last month.

In short, municipalities simply aren't planning for enough housing.

Now, here are some of the other reasons why it's going to be difficult, if not impossible, to meet the target.

Developers are facing market conditions that make it challenging to keep up with demand.

A shortage of skilled workers in the construction industry means there were some 82,000 unfilled positions across the country at the end of June, according to Statistics Canada.