Youth salaries in Canada no longer keep pace with the cost of living, even when working full-time, according to affordability studies. The ability to afford city rents and homeownership has become a "distant dream" for many. Unlike the millennial generation who entered the market after the 2008 financial crash and faced a shortage of job opportunities, today's youth group enters an economy suffering from a historic labor shortage, making it somewhat easier to obtain a job and earn salaries. However, the skyrocketing housing and rental prices, declining student loan payments, and sharp rise in living expenses have all become barriers to living independently as young people in Canada. Also, for Irko Abdulrahman, 24 years old, who lives with his family in Ajax, Ontario, just being able to move and afford rent in Toronto is an "impossible dream," as he currently works full-time as a subway operator with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC). Abdulrahman says he currently owes $19,385 USD from the Ontario Student Assistance Program (OSAP), and he estimates that he will need to pay $1,000 monthly over the next two years until he is finally debt-free. When considering his other monthly expenses (totaling an estimated $882 USD), his average monthly salary of $2,700 USD is not enough to cover the additional rental expenses. On the other hand, as of August 2022, the average monthly rent for all types of properties in Canada was $1,959, an increase of 11.1% annually. The average rent rose by 1.3 percent monthly and 16.8 percent since the market low in April 2021 of $1,676 per month, according to Rentals.ca.