Comparing rent increases to income and CPI First, let’s look at how incomes have changed from 2016 to 2019 on a province-by-province basis. This is the most recently available data collected from Statistics Canada. Table 1 shows the average (and median) total income levels by province from 2016 to 2019. Table 1: Provincial total incomes (average and median), 2016-2019
Province
Average (median) Average (median) income, 2016 income, 2019
Percentage change in average (median) income, 2016-2019
BC
$45,700 ($35,000)
$50,500 ($38,400)
10.5 (9.7)
Alberta
$54,500 ($40,700)
$55,900 ($42,200)
2.6 (3.7)
Saskatchewan
$49,900 ($39,900)
$48,200 ($39,000)
-3.4 (-2.3)
Manitoba
$45,100 ($36,400)
$45,800 ($37,200)
1.6 (2.2)
Ontario
$48,600 ($35,200)
$49,500 ($37,500)
1.9 (6.5)
Quebec
$43,700 ($34,300)
$45,900 ($36,700)
5.0 (7.0)
New Brunswick
$41,100 ($33,600)
$43,400 ($35,800)
5.6 (6.5)
Nova Scotia
$43,500 ($33,500)
$43,400 ($35,300)
-0.2 (-0.6)
Newfoundland and Labrador
$46,000 ($33,300)
$46,400 ($34,900)
0.9 (4.8)
PEI
$40,700 ($32,400)
$42,500 ($35,800)
4.4 (10.5)
Over the four-year period, all but two provinces experienced increases in both their average and median incomes. The average income increased from 0.9 per cent to 10.5 per cent, while the median income increased from 2.2 per cent to 10.5 per cent. Therefore, the argument that most tenants cannot afford market-rate increases in rent is patently false, as their incomes generally increased over time. Holding the line on rent increases (i.e., freezing rents) is unnecessary and a burden on rental property owners. Table 2: Provincial CPI, water, fuel, and electricity, August 2020 and August 2021
Province
August 2020
August 2021
Percentage change in CPI from August 2020 to August 2021
BC
161.8
171.8
6.2
Alberta
179.1
217.8
21.6
Saskatchewan
176.5
173.6
-0.6
Manitoba
147.0
159.5
8.5
Ontario
163.9
173.8
6.0
Quebec.
128.4
133.5
4.0
New Brunswick
170.2
180.0
5.8
Nova Scotia
170.4
189.7
11.3
Newfoundland and Labrador
185.6
203.3
9.5
PEI
160.8
199.3
25.4
16 | October 2021
continued on page 20