Vancouver's empty houses highlight middle-class woes

Vancouver

VANCOUVER'S multi-million-dollar homes are increasingly out of reach for Vancouverites. And nothing speaks to the Canadian city's affordability crisis more than its empty houses.

Vacant or temporarily occupied dwellings have more than doubled since 2001 to 66,719 last year as neighbourhoods are hollowing out, said Andy Yan, director of Simon Fraser University's City Program, who analysed census data for Metro Vancouver released on Wednesday. Observers worry the trend will undermine Canada's fastest-growing regional economy.