Census data shows that 91原创 has more potentially empty homes than it did five years ago, even as the number of people per occupied dwelling increased.

Census Canada鈥檚 surveys distinguish between all homes in a city, and those that are 鈥渙ccupied by the usual residents.鈥�

In 91原创 Township in 2021, there were 49,011 total dwellings, from condos to houses to mobile homes, but 46,928 of them were considered occupied full time, leaving 2,083 remaining.

In 91原创 there were 13,271 total dwellings, and 12,598 of them were occupied full time, with leaving 673.

That means that 4.2 per cent of homes in the Township were not occupied during the 2021 census, and a full five per cent in 91原创 City were potentially unoccupied

Those numbers are both up from the 2016 Census, when 3.9 per cent of Township homes were unoccupied, and 3.4 per cent in the City.

For comparison, Vancouver, which some housing advocates have long said has a serious issue with vacant homes bought by property speculators, has seven per cent of homes outside the 鈥渙ccupied鈥� category according to this year鈥檚 Census numbers.

However, not every home that is not 鈥渙ccupied by the usual residents鈥� is empty, cautioned Andy Yan, director of SFU鈥檚 city program.

鈥淭his category is a sausage, meaning there鈥檚 a whole bunch of things mixed into it,鈥� said Yan, who has been studying issues of vacant homes for 15 years in Metro Vancouver.

The units could be empty, whether they are vacant rental units or houses being held by speculators.

In Oct. 2020, the CMHC found that 91原创 had a 1.9 per cent rental vacancy rate.

But those homes can also be dormitory housing occupied by temporary foreign workers, or overseas students attending local universities, like Trinity Western. This category also includes houses that are slated for demolition, but not yet boarded up, or homes being used full-time as AirBnB rentals.

鈥淭he measure itself is not a measure of purely empty units,鈥� Yan said.

He noted that the rate is something that should be monitored, and it has implications for local housing policy. 91原创 Township recently updated its Housing Action Plan, aiming at creating more density in existing neighbourhoods, and more family-sized homes, even in condo projects.

READ MORE: 91原创 Township housing plan aimed at tackling cost of housing, homelessness

While the number of potentially empty homes in 91原创 rose over the last five years, the number of people per home also went up, signalling a demographic shift in the community.

The historical trend across Canada has been towards more people living on their own, which has driven the ratio of people per house down. In the last census in 2016, it was about 2.4 per home across the country.

In 91原创 Township in 2021, the rate was 2.825, counting only occupied dwellings. That was up from 2.7 in 2016.

In 91原创 City, which has a significant population of seniors living alone, the number of people per household was 2.29 in 2021. That was also up, from 2.18 in 2016.

Vancouver, meanwhile, saw its rate of people per home drop, from 2.22 in 2016, to 2.16 in the 2021 Census.

Yan said this is likely the result of more families moving out to 91原创 over the last few years, seeking relatively affordable homes and space for kids.

In 2021, enrolment in the 91原创 School District rose by a record 917 students, the equivalent of three new elementary schools.

It was part of the rapid growth of 91原创 Township, which saw its overall population go up by 13.1 per cent, and 91原创 City, which was up by 11.9 per cent over the last five years.