In a State of the City presentation today, pollster Nik Nanos revealed room for major improvement in the areas of public transit and home affordability.
London, ON – When it comes to raising a family, healthcare and enjoying a high quality of life, London residents are very satisfied with what the Forest City has to offer, according to new research conducted by Nanos Research on behalf of the London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR). The research – presented by Nik Nanos at an event today attended by city officials, business leaders and London residents – showed that, while Londoners love their city, they think more needs to be done to address traffic, transit and home affordability.
"London's stable economy, renowned education institutions, healthcare and proximity to other large cities, make this city a very attractive place to raise a family," said Earl Taylor, 2019 LSTAR President. "At the same time, residents are contending with more and more traffic and longer commute times. Greater demand on housing has affected the average home sales price, which was more than $412,000 in September, making more challenging for young families and first-time home buyers to break into the market. These are the areas Londoners feel present the biggest opportunity for the City."
The research engaged residents on the performance of their municipal leaders on various issues and economic stability. Londoners said municipal leaders do an average job at helping attract jobs to London, while most are critical of how leaders create an environment for affordable housing.
"The research affirms how important the issues of housing and affordability are for our community,"said John Geha, LSTAR CEO. "The business of real estate truly affects everything that happens in the growing region. When it relates to housing, more than half of respondents said they believe the value of real estate in their neighbourhood will increase in the next six months. Housing continues to be a top issue."
According to the research, the majority of Londoners said their job is secure or somewhat secure, with most reporting there has been no change in their personal finances over the past year.
"This research is very valuable to help move the City of London forward, and it's a tremendous opportunity for the entire region," said Earl Taylor, 2019 LSTAR President. "LSTAR understands the effort has to involve collaboration between government, business and the greater community."
For full survey results, visit the Nanos Research web site.
About the Survey
The results are based on a random telephone survey of 501 residents of the City of London, 18 years of age or older, conducted between September 15 and 23, 2019. Participants were randomly recruited by telephone using live agents and administered a survey. The margin of error for this survey is ±4.4 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
About Nanos Research
Nanos Research is one of North America's premier research and strategy organizations. Since its founding in 1987, Nanos Research has helped corporations, government agencies and advocacy associations understand, chart and shape the public mood. Our reach is global and we apply the latest machine learning algorithms for exceptional insight. Today, Canada's largest private broadcaster depends on Nanos Research as the official pollster of record for CTV News. Similarly, world-renowned Bloomberg News Service chose Nanos to conduct Bloomberg’s weekly Canadian consumer sentiment tracking, known as the Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index.
About LSTAR
The London and St. Thomas Association of REALTORS® (LSTAR) exists to provide its REALTOR® Members with the support and tools they need to succeed in their profession. LSTAR is one of Canada's 15 largest real estate associations, representing over 1,700 REALTORS® working in Middlesex and Elgin Counties, a trading area of 500,000 residents. LSTAR adheres to a Quality of Life philosophy, supporting growth that fosters economic vitality, provides housing opportunities, respects the environment and builds good communities and safe neighbourhoods and is a proud participant in the REALTORS Care Foundation’s Every REALTOR™ Campaign.
Media Contact: Chad Lovell, LSTAR VP Public Affairs and Diversity, (226) 972-9299
