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1. Perverse incentives may help erode housing affordability

   Rising incomes and low interest rates have generated tremendous demand for housing across the country. ...

2. Calgary making tough tax decisions other cities aren’t

   Before the spread of COVID-19, Calgary was already struggling with another kind of acute problem—a municipal budget crisis. The energy industry’s half-decade-long downturn has led to soaring commercial space vacancies in the downtown core ...

3. Queen’s Park postponing property tax reform today could hurt businesses tomorrow

   Many small businesses have undoubtedly been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. Many must shut their doors for an undetermined period of time, while others have made the difficult decision to lay off staff. All three levels of government ...

4. Most effective pro-housing reforms have nothing to do with more government spending

   According to a recent poll of British Columbia parents, 65 per cent of respondents believe it’s likely their child or children will have to move away from their home municipality due to the high cost of living. Of course, B.C.’s sky-high ...

5. Groundhog Day in the Golden State—how plans to boost affordability in California keep failing

   The situation in California has important implications for Canada’s least-affordable cities including Vancouver and Toronto. ...

6. Montreal retail woes underscore need for property tax reform

   Approximately 15 per cent of Montreal's street-level retail spaces are vacant. ...

7. Land-use regulation in “superstar” U.S. cities—same old sad story

   The key to understanding housing affordability woes in our most expensive cities is understanding the extent that local regulatory environments hamper the construction of new homes. To do this, however, one must first measure local ...

8. Vancouver’s latest policy on rental development—big bang, or more timid tinkering?

   The more floors allowed in new projects, the more feasible they become. ...

9. Ford government backtracks on amalgamation—which is good news for municipal accountability

   The Ford government recently announced it would no longer consider forced municipal amalgamations in Ontario, following recommendations from a review the government commissioned earlier this year. This is good news for local governance, ...

10. How Ottawa can tackle the housing shortage

    After years of the federal government tinkering with housing demand (the mortgage stress-test, the First-Time Home Buyer Incentive and other stick-and-carrot approaches to how people can purchase homes), it’s clear that housing ...