Canada has a housing crisis. No argument. And there are certainly lots of fingers pointing at lots of different people and orders of government in the search for solutions.

But. And there always seems to be a but when governments get into big, costly infrastructure issues, how engaged are homeowners?

I have a growing suspicion that the vast majority of homeowners today are quite unaware of what some city councils are doing to encourage multi-family housing on traditional single-family lots.

The question is low on the minds of many people who already own their own home. But what will the reaction be if suddenly the house next to them is plowed under and four small homes are built on that lot? Or a six-plex?

As cities move towards allowing multi-residential units to be built on those lots previously zoned for one home, I don't know if we understand yet what that might do to existing neighborhoods.

More parking on the street, because there certainly wouldn't be room for cars on the lot with multiple housing units? More traffic in what had usually been a fairly calm traffic flow, with pretty good safety for children? The introduction of renters into a primarily owner neighborhood, recognizing that renters can be very good or sometimes cause problems because they may not be as invested in the upkeep of the housing as owners tend to be? If the new units are a few stories in height, will the privacy of existing homeowners be impacted by new residents suddenly able to peek into their bedroom windows?

Will the value of homes next to such a multi-unit location increase or decrease? Or will entire blocks of homes become multiple-housing areas? And is that good or bad, or is that simply the way of the future?

I certainly don't know the answers. What worries me is if elected officials and city planners know those answers. Because once you start down that path, you're never going back.

There was always a certain pattern to developing suburbs and neighborhoods. High-rise buildings were located near public transit and on the main road, then townhouses on the next block or two, and then single-family homes on the inside of the district. People chose their housing based on their family needs and their ability to pay. And that, today, has become the overriding issue, especially for young people and for immigrants.

There is no question Canada has been slow to react and to provide more housing. We need immigration because our birthrates are so low, and our population is aging. Where will newcomers live?

There are many different ideas out there. In Ontario, Premier Ford and Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Clark recently were publicly excoriated by the provincial auditor in her report on taking property out of the Greenbelt that surrounds the GTA and the Hamilton/Niagara region. The Premier insists the land is needed for new housing.

Victoria has approved a policy allowing six units on one lot, but then implemented tough new policies about height and parking. Vancouver is apparently going down the same path.

It would be fascinating to know how the public has responded and if homeowners have been surveyed about having multi-story residential next to their single-family home.

The overall concern remains providing more affordable housing. That is a laudable goal. But are we changing the face and livability of existing communities in the rush to accomplish that? What will our cities look like in twenty years?

More questions to which I have no answers. Does anybody out there?