Canada

My biggest complaint, as someone who's been working in the trades in Ontario since 2010, is that the amount of money that houses are worth has gone up like 400%, but the pay for the actual workers has barely gone up at all.

I remember when I first started working in a subdivision, there were billboards up saying you could get the cheapest base model houses for $200k. Those houses now are probably worth almost $800k, and the guys working in the houses probably make an extra couple bucks an hour compared to when those houses were selling for $200k.

So the developers are making huge money, the real estate agents are making huge money, the landlords and people who can afford these properties are making huge money too. But the people who actually build the houses make fuck all.

I fucking hate this world, all of us working class people need a general strike like right now.

Fuck the rich, fuck politicians, and fuck Doug Ford in particular

I don't know how long it's been the case, but in Canada if you're an individual consumer you don't have any rights against the construction industry.

Hire a contractor and they do a shit job? Sorry, you have to let them finish or pay them out, you don't have the right to fire them unless a person gets seriously injured by their work. They're allowed to fix their work indefinitely.

It doesn't matter what your contract says, doesn't matter that they fail to meet the minimum standards outlined in it. If you do try to fire them they just put a lien on your house without anything further than their word and $30. And careful posting a review online, you can get sued for defamation over that, even if it's the truth (look it up, it's a thing).

Got stiffed by a contractor after your prepayment? Too bad, they changed their name so now they don't exist. That was the old company and they're bankrupt, the new one was their creditor and acquired all their assets. Oh, and if they fail to pay their subcontractors you're personally liable.

Bought a prebuild? Sorry, the contractor can just walk away anytime and resell the unit if the value increases. Good luck on your deposit. I have no idea why they can just relist the properties a couple months later but I guess they can.

And don't get me started on the "cash discount" aka "we don't pay taxes and don't get audited".

The construction industry in this country get treated better than royalty. Can't speak ill of them, can't go after them legally, and it's all tax free!

Builders stop building during a lack of building crisis. Totally normal, nothing to see here folks. /s

We were building so little already, I can't believe that the already pathetic housing starts are getting reduced by 20%. The government should just step in with non-market housing already.