TORONTO– Raised with high expectations of fairness and opportunity, many members of Generation Z in Canada now face serious disappointments. After ten years of the Liberal government, soaring living costs, unmanageable debt, and policies centred on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) and climate initiatives have left young Canadians in a tough spot.
As Gen Z increasingly turns to credit just to get by, many are walking away from the Liberals for the Conservatives, eager to see practical fixes to their economic challenges.
Owning a home in Canada was once seen as an achievable milestone. Today, for Generation Z, it feels completely out of reach. Since the Liberals took power in 2015, house prices have climbed to levels that most young people can only dream about. The national average hit $824,300 in 2024, with median prices in big cities like Toronto and Vancouver climbing above $1 million. Saving for a down payment now seems impossible for many.
Liberal policies get much of the blame for this mess. Their National Housing Strategy was promoted as a solution, but has failed to produce affordable homes at the scale needed. Priority often went to investors and foreign buyers, pushing prices further out of reach.
The Liberals’ pledge to build 1.4 million new homes by 2025-26 is falling short as construction gets slowed by red tape and not enough incentives for builders. Longer-term mortgages for first-time buyers just leave Gen Z paying the debt for decades, without tackling the core issues of supply and affordability.
Advocacy group Generation Squeeze pointed out that the Liberals protected the wealth of older homeowners while young Canadians faced skyrocketing costs. Dr. Paul Kershaw, founder of Generation Squeeze, stated that keeping more than $1.5 trillion in home equity for retirees has forced young adults to shoulder higher housing prices.
Credit Dependency and Growing Debt Among Gen Z
With homeownership looking impossible, younger Canadians are piling on debt just to cover groceries and rent. Liberal spending hasn’t kept up with living costs, and many young people now rely on credit cards and loans to make it through each month.
A 2024 Abacus Data survey showed that 36% of young Canadians struggle to pay their bills on time, 37% skip meals or lower the quality of their food to save money, and 29% sell belongings to pay for daily needs.
Government support, like the Canada Child Benefit or child care subsidies, offers little relief for adults without children. Efforts to redistribute income haven’t fixed the deeper problems of inflation or stagnant wages.
Many in Gen Z find themselves putting off milestones. About 34% said they are delaying buying a home, 32% can’t afford to move out on their own, and 25% are putting off starting a family.
Over the past decade, the Liberals have often made big promises to young Canadians but delivered little substance. New programs like Build Canada Homes are slow to roll out, backing just 15,000 homes under the Rapid Housing Initiative, when Canada needs at least 500,000 new homes every year. The government hasn’t tackled high municipal development charges or strict zoning laws, so builders face rising costs and slow progress.
While these problems mount, resources continue to go toward DEI programs and green space expansions, which feel disconnected from what Gen Z needs now. Major spending on conservation and urban parks hasn’t eased the housing squeeze for young families and individuals. The Liberals also stuck with carbon pricing for businesses, making it costlier for companies to operate, and these expenses trickle down to consumers.
Tough Job Market Adds More Stress
On top of housing and debt issues, Generation Z faces a shaky job market. Canada’s aging population and low birth rates make labour shortages more common. The government has promoted immigration, but hasn’t provided enough training to help newcomers or upskill young people for industries like technology or clean energy.
Federal focus on AI and clean energy might be forward-looking, but the lack of decent-paying jobs remains a problem today. Many young Canadians are stuck in contract work and gig jobs, with 19% needing to live with family or friends because independent living is too expensive. These problems leave a growing number of young people feeling like they have been left behind, with little hope for a stable future.
After years of disappointment, Gen Z is moving towards the Conservative Party. Reports from the Fraser Institute from 2024 show support for the Conservatives among those aged 18-29 at 36%, while the Liberals only netted 19%. This shift is a stark change from 2015 when 41% of young voters backed the Liberals. By April 2025, a Nanos poll found nearly half (49.3%) of voters aged 18-34 supported the Conservatives, with young men at the forefront.
Pierre Poilievre, the Conservative leader, is gaining ground by promising tax reductions, lower government spending, and greater involvement from the private sector in new home construction.
Young Canadians Drawn to Canservatives
His promise to cut GST on homes under $1.3 million and tie federal support to how many homes are built has struck a chord with young voters facing an affordability crisis. Poilievre’s focus on economic freedom and personal accountability appeals to a generation craving real solutions instead of more red tape.
A 24-year-old Gen Z voter at a Poilievre event in Toronto shared, “For young people like me, buying a home isn’t possible right now. We’ve given the Liberals ten years—it hasn’t helped.” This feeling is spreading, with more young Canadians drawn to Poilievre’s view of a country where hard work leads to real progress, not more government control.
The Liberal focus on DEI and climate goals hasn’t addressed the day-to-day struggles facing young Canadians. The rising costs of food and rent and the slim chance at homeownership have made daily life stressful for a generation looking for stability. Many feel this isn’t the Canada they were promised—a place where each generation did better than the last.
Now, Gen Z wants the government to put Canadians first by making life affordable and protecting their future. The growth in Conservative support among young voters is a call for a country where effort leads to better rewards, and government hurdles are minimized.
As Canada faces key decisions ahead, this shift from Gen Z signals a strong urge for change—one that puts their needs at the forefront and aims to restore a fair shot for everyone.
