HE WORD CRISIS suggests something that is infrequent, surprising, and widely undesirablesomething that leads to dire consequences unless it is brought under control. The United Nations defines a humanitarian crisis as "an event or series of events that represents a critical threat to the health, safety, security, or well-being of a community or other large group of people usually over a wider area." Examples include pandemics, natural disasters, and war. An International Monetary Fund study defines a financial crisis as "an amalgam of events, including substantial changes in credit volume and asset prices, severe disruptions in financial intermediation, notably the supply of external financing, large-scale balance sheet problems, and the need for large-scale government support." In fewer words: countries gone bankrupt. It is fair to expect governments to act with resolve when dealing with real crises, swiftly deploying the personnel and resources needed to stop the bleeding. COVID-19 was a health crisis, and governments did what they did to contain the spread of the virus. Financial crises like the 2008 economic meltdown are met with prompt and costly government measures. The Russian invasion of Ukraine prompted a speedy, large-scale response from several countries and international organizations. In contrast, Canada's "housing crisis" is a permanent state of affairs that harms people in, or in need of, rental housing: roughly one-third of the country's households. The other two-thirds own homes whose values rise much faster than those of other investment options. New homeowners may face high housing costs, but mortgage payments are accompanied by long-term growth in their personal wealth. Landlords, real estate investment firms, and developers operate in a stable and lucrative business environment. Even 2020the first year of the pandemic when entire sectors of the economy were shut downwas a good year for the industry. Banks and other mortgage providers create money, lend it, and charge interest on it. If that wasn't already a sweet deal, the federal government assumes a share of the risk of these mortgages so that banks can make easy money worry free. how does this writer creates exigency