Changes in homeownership in Montreal and Toronto since the middle of the XIXth century

Homeownership is a good indicator of the present wealth of households and a key element in determining their future wealth. This study makes use of census data, information from evaluation rolls for 1862, 1881, 1901, 1921 and 1941, and various other statistics. There is a clear trend for homeownership to increase in both Toronto and Montreal between 1862 and 1921. Thereafter a divergence occurs, with Toronto becoming increasingly a city of homeowners, while renting becomes more significant in Montreal. Only after 1941 did the proportion of homeowners start to rise again in Montreal. Important spatial variations in residential characteristics are identified at various dates in both cities. The appearance of co-ownership in central areas since 1970 has reduced some differences between the two cities, as has the spread of homeownership on the peripheries of both Montreal and Toronto during the 1980s. -H.Clout