A new study by UBC geographer Dan Hiebert shows immigrants are an important driver of housing markets in Metro Vancouver and Toronto, reports the Vancouver Sun.
Hiebert compared housing and immigration data and found that on average, 53 per cent of immigrants to Metro Vancouver became homeowners between 2006 and 2011, with Chinese and South Asians becoming homeowners at much higher rates than other population groups.
Among immigrants, rates of home ownership were at 73 per cent for ethnic Chinese, 52 per cent for South Asians, 51 per cent for South Koreans and 44 per cent for Filipinos.
Similar articles appeared in The Province, Ottawa Citizen and Saskatoon Star Phoenix.
