How Yukon's booming economy and rapid population growth has led to a housing crisis

It's a common saying among locals that Yukon is "Canada's best-kept secret" — referring to the territory's pristine wilderness and welcoming culture. But it seems the secret is out.

According to Canada's 2021 census numbers, Yukon led the country in terms of population growth since 2016, increasing by 12.1 per cent and bringing its population from 35,874 to 40,232.

The fast population growth is amplifying an already longstanding housing shortage.

Manitoba native Marcus Schneider is currently looking to move to Yukon, where he has an opportunity to be trained as an automotive technician and mechanic and make a higher wage than in his hometown of East Selkirk in the process. 

But Schneider, who's looking for a two-bedroom apartment, is struggling to secure a place. 

"I'm finding a lot of places, especially within Whitehorse, that are on the low end $2,400 a month without utilities and they go all the way up to $3,500 for some of the places with a garage," he said.

That's equivalent to around three quarters of his monthly wage — "and that's not even including utilities," he added.

In recent years, house and rent prices have exploded, bringing the median two-bedroom apartment rent to around $1,300 according to data from 2021, but many locals who spoke with CBC said the average price is actually around $2,000 right now.

Several recent online rental listings are asking in the ballpark of $2,000 for a two-bedroom apartment. 

The Yukon Housing Corporation also conceded in an email statement that "the actual market rent is often higher" than the median market rent.  

The average sale price of a single detached house in Whitehorse as of November 2021 was $656,800, a record high and an increase of $87,800, or 15.4 per cent over one year.

"I can say that probably within the past year …  we've been getting more calls from people who have sort of well-paying [jobs], not just minimum wage jobs… who are also struggling to get into the housing market," said Kate Mechan, executive director of Yukon's Safe At Home Society, an organization that aims to end and prevent homelessness in the Yukon.

"It's impacting everybody across the board," added Mechan, including businesses. 

Housing is indeed top of mind for many Yukoners. In all three 2021 local elections at the federal, territorial and municipal levels, it was a central issue.