A recent poll reveals Canadians are divided on who to blame for the housing crisis.

In partnership with the Canadian Press, polling company Leger reports that 40% of Canadians overall blame the federal government for rising rents and the lack of affordable homes, while comparable numbers (32%) say their provincial government is at fault.

Renters are even more equally split: 37% point the finger at the federal government and 35% at their provincial government.

In the comments section of the report and other online forums, many Canadians felt that both federal and provincial governments were equally responsible, with the former driving the overwhelming demand for rental properties and the latter failing to build enough new homes to meet it.

The comments seemed to agree on one thing: instead of focusing on who to blame for the housing crisis, the country should be working to solve it.  The two solutions that received the most support were building more government-supplied housing and offering incentives to developers to build more affordable homes, selected by 79% each.

Addressing the housing crisis will require collaboration between all levels of government. For their part, property managers can contribute to data collection efforts to help policymakers make informed decisions. They can also continue serving as a valuable resource for landlords and renters with information and tools that can help them navigate current market conditions.

More housing crisis headlines

Trudeau says feds aren't primarily responsible for housing, but how responsible are they? – CBC

Ontario urged to act as housing crisis spreads from cities to communities across province – The Financial Post

Canadians are being crushed by a housing crisis. Are short-term rentals to blame? – CBC