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I’m developing a theory that the housing affordability emergency in Metro Vancouver is the worst crisis the region has faced since the Second World War.

While difficult to “prove,” it’s an idea that seems to resonate with a lot of readers.

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I recently conducted a brief, highly unscientific poll on Twitter and found that 63 per cent of respondents believe housing affordability is “the worst crisis in 50 years” (which of course doesn’t include the Second World War).

And our own internal Vancouver Sun / Province digital “analytics” reveal that seven of my 10 most well-read articles and columns in the 2018 calendar year have been on housing. A similar pattern emerges when other Postmedia journalists write on housing issues.

To add fuel to this thesis-in-progress, Angus Reid Institute recently found in a scientific poll that 50 per cent of British Columbians say housing costs are the province’s biggest issue. (I imagine the portion would have been significantly higher among Metro residents).