In the last few days, CTV News Toronto has heard from dozens of residents<\/a>, both young adults and older Ontarians, who say the pressure isn\u2019t always about immediate crisis, but about the growing fear that even steady employment may no longer be enough to feel \u201cokay\u201d in the GTA.<\/p>\n \u2018I thought there was opportunity\u2019<\/p>\n Franco moved to Canada as a teenager from Europe, believing education and job security would eventually translate into independence.<\/p>\n \u201cI thought (in Ontario) there was opportunity for growth, for employment, for success,\u201d she said. \u201cAs long as you go to school, university, have a good job, have that job security, everything else would be guaranteed.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, she lives in Mississauga with her mother and younger brother and helps support the household.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m basically the main person that provides an income to the household,\u201d Franco said.<\/p>\n Her days are long and structured around 12-hour shifts in a Toronto-area ICU.<\/p>\n \u201cI drive to work from Mississauga to downtown Toronto,\u201d she said. \u201cI work 12 hour shifts, so I\u2019ll be there from 7 a.m. till 7:30 p.m.\u201d<\/p>\n Despite the workload, Franco says the financial payoff feels limited.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re doing everything right, and still it\u2019s not enough. Something definitely needs to be changed.\u201d<\/p>\n Where the money goes<\/p>\n She explains that most of her income, after taxes goes toward basic expenses.<\/p>\n \u201cI would say groceries, for sure, because I\u2019m buying for three people,\u201d she said. \u201cAnd then I\u2019d say bills, specifically, for the car and the insurance.\u201d<\/p>\n She notes automatic deductions take another hefty chunk.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I look at my pay stub, I\u2019m like, okay, half of the money I\u2019ve made is going to taxes, retirement or union fees.\u201d<\/p>\n What\u2019s left only allows for minimal savings.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m able to save maybe $200 a month,\u201d Franco said. \u201cBare minimum, like very bare minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n For many young adults housing remains the biggest concern.<\/p>\n While Toronto saw its average home price dip under $1 million for the first time since 2021, the cost of real estate still feels out of reach for many.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t think I\u2019ll be able to afford a house in the short future,\u201d Franco said. \u201c(The dream of buying in Ontario) has definitely shifted for sure.\u201d<\/p>\n Affordability gap a challenge<\/p>\n That sense of uncertainty is shared by 23-year-old Carlos Sanchez, from Ottawa, who is pursuing a career in acting.<\/p>\n \u201cIt often feels like I\u2019m forced to choose between pursuing a meaningful goal and building financial security, rather than being able to work toward both,\u201d Sanchez said.<\/p>\n He says the challenge isn\u2019t a lack of discipline, but unpredictability.<\/p>\n \u201cThat gap feels especially wide when your income isn\u2019t linear or guaranteed,\u201d he said. \u201cBeing \u2018okay\u2019 in the present doesn\u2019t necessarily translate into confidence about the future.\u201d<\/p>\n Recent RBC polling<\/a> suggests those concerns are widespread.<\/p>\n The survey found Ontarians were among the most likely in the country to cite housing and everyday spending habits as major barriers to achieving financial goals. 66 per cent pointed to housing as a key challenge, while 52 per cent said personal financial habits were holding them back.<\/p>\n Experts weigh in<\/p>\n Financial planner and author Jessica Moorhouse says many young adults who appear financially stable are experiencing a quieter form of stress.<\/p>\n \u201cSomeone at 26 making $90,000 (before taxes), that\u2019s great,\u201d she said. \u201cHowever, you\u2019re still just 26\u2026 you\u2019re not supposed to have anything figured out in your 20s.\u201d<\/p>\n She acknowledges the pressure is amplified by rising costs and fuelled by \u201ccomparison culture\u201d on social media.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s so much display of wealth like you\u2019ve never seen before,\u201d Moorhouse said. \u201cYou might be doing actually great for your stage of life\u2026 and you still may feel bad about yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n Moorhouse says today\u2019s younger generation has little choice but to engage with money early. <\/p>\n \u201cI remember when I was in my 20s, it was weird for me to care about my money,\u201d she said. \u201cNow people in their 20s are like, \u2018I can\u2019t afford to not think about my finances.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Housing pressure, a major concern<\/p>\n Personal finance expert Sean Cooper says housing concerns remains the dominant factor in Ontario, regardless of age. <\/p>\n \u201cThe incomes just haven\u2019t kept up with the home prices,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s the single biggest expense for the vast majority of people.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/MGO66IX25RFSBJBPSQXZYQO3LM.jpg\")
icu nurse Nurse pushing a wheelchair in hospital hallway (pexels images). <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/6RE5S4IOE5GMTLKQDNLONRBJRA.jpg\")
acting class Group of young people having a meeting (pexels image). <\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/M4DONXOGPVCO3CVWPQWODS52QU.jpg\")
Jessica Moorhouse Jessica Moorhouse, Canadian money expert and bestselling author of \u201cEverything but Money.” <\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/DRUTUOGCRFE5LOLFM457DMNIVA.JPG\")
24-year-old Sharran Kumar 24-year-old Sharran Kumar, of Scarborough, Ont. who says financial pressure continues to intensify among young adults in his community (Photo provided by Sharran Kumar). <\/p>\n