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Canadians are satisfied with their homes and neighbourhoods but will probably not stay put according to a new survey.

The Canadian Housing Survey is a new national poll from Statistics Canada, sponsored by the CMHC. It was carried out in 2018 and shows that about half of Canadian households have either moved in the past five years or intend to within the next five years.

Among the 35% who had moved in the past five years, those in Nunavut were most likely to have done (46%) while those in Newfoundland and Labrador were least likely to have moved (23%).

Upgrading to a better quality home was the top reason (9.7%) for moving, followed by moving to a more desirable neighbourhood (7%), to become a homeowner (6.4%), a change in household size (6.3%), and to lower housing costs (5%).

Happy neighbourhoods
Asked about satisfaction with their neighbourhood, 85.6% said they were satisfied or very satisfied with those in Quebec most satisfied while Torontonians were least satisfied.

But the survey also highlights the many Canadians who are not happy with their current home.

Almost three-quarters of a million Canadian households (5.1%) reported living in a dwelling that was not suitable for them, with not have enough bedrooms for the occupants, according to the National Occupancy Standard. 

Around 7.1% said their homes need major repairs.

Over 1 in 10 renters (13.5%) nationally—or 628,700 Canadian households—were living in social and affordable housing in 2018.