Why Canada’s ban on foreign homebuyers is unlikely to affect housing affordability
A new act in Canada bans non-citizens, non-permanent residents and foreign commercial enterprises from buying Canadian residential properties; but there is no single policy that could address the affordability issue without introducing other challenges, writes Associate Professor Diana Mok...

Associate Professor of Real Estate Finance and Economics, Western University. My research interests are broadly defined in the realm of real estate and urban economics, with a focus on housing and urban development. Most of my research studies have been applied, empirical studies of urban phenomena drawn from existing theories, and I often adopt a spatial lens to study my research questions. Specifically, my research has evolved and developed around three themes, intertwined, and with a spatial focus: risk, real estate, and urban growth. I seek to understand the interrelatedness among risk, the real estate market, and how the real estate market affects people’s economic activities in everyday life.
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