I have a lot of friends who say, "If Trump gets elected again, I'm moving to Canada and buying a home there!" Um, sorry kids, but unless you're a Canadian citizen, you cannot purchase residential property as of January 2023.

Well, so how does one become a Canadian? Marriage to a Canadian citizen does not give you citizenship, you must first apply for and get permanent resident status. Then you must apply for Canadian citizenship and meet the same requirements as any other person seeking Canadian citizenship.

To become a citizen, you must: be a permanent resident; have lived in Canada for three out of the last five years; have filed taxes in Canada; prove your language skills; pass a citizenship test and then take the oath of citizenship. If you committed a crime in our outside of Canada, have been in prison or on parole or probation, you may not be eligible to become a citizen for a period of time, either!

How is that different from becoming a U.S. citizen? Generally, people born here are considered U.S. citizens but there are similar steps for a foreigner to be granted citizenship here in this country.

Utah has a major housing problem, with low inventory and very little affordable inventory. Canada has the same problems, so much so that the initial ban on foreigners buying property in Canada was extended for two years until January 2027. Their Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance stated this past February, "For years, foreign money has been coming into Canada to buy up residential real estate, increasing housing affordability concerns in cities across the county, and particularly in major urban areas. By extending the foreign buyer ban, we will ensure houses are used as homes for Canadian families to live in and do not become a speculative financial asset class. The government is intent on using all possible tools to make housing more affordable for Canadians across the country."

Canadian legislators have spent more than $14 billion through an Affordable Housing Fund to build 60,000 new affordable homes and repair 240,000 homes. They've allocated $4 billion though a Rapid Housing Initiative that's expected to help build more than 15,500 affordable homes for people experiencing homelessness or in severe housing needs, and another $200 million to build 4,500 new homes by repurposing surplus federal lands and buildings. The Canuck's have also come up with a brilliant Tax-Free First Home Savings account that allows residents to contribute up to $8,000 per year (up to $40,000) for their first down payment.

Utah legislators have not, in my opinion, offered many solutions for our statewide housing crisis. Giving $20,000 to first time buyers to use as a down payment and/or closing costs primarily benefits developers of new construction housing. For anyone wanting to live in our major cities, there is little new construction other than high-rise apartments for rent.