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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
World
Patrick Commins Economics editor

Canada slashed migration and housing costs dropped. There may be lessons for Australia

Apartments in downtown Vancouver, Canada.
Apartments in downtown Vancouver. Rents across Canada have dropped by 3% to 5% over the past two years, says housing researcher Carolyn Whitzman. Photograph: Andia/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

Canada’s decision to radically cut migration levels and slash the number of foreign workers and students in the country has delivered on its goal of reducing housing costs, experts say.

In the grip of a post-pandemic surge in overseas migration that was judged to be contributing to unaffordable housing and stretched public services, the Canadian government under former prime minister Justin Trudeau in late 2024 tabled a law that cracked down on foreign arrivals.

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