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1. 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. ...

2. Rather than help all renters, B.C. government picks a lucky few

   The Horgan government recently announced plans to spend $492 million on the provision of 4,900 subsidized rental units in British Columbia over the next two to three years. There’s a clear need for units with below-market rents, and this ...

3. Here’s how Mayor Tory can deliver on housing

   Mayor John Tory received a huge vote of confidence Monday, receiving 63.5 per cent of the vote in Toronto’s municipal election, eclipsing the next most popular candidate by more than two-to-one. On one hand, this can be interpreted as an ...

4. Rent control in B.C.—bad policy then, bad policy now

   There are very few points upon which nearly all economists agree. So when more than 90 per cent of academic economists agree on something, policymakers should take note. For example, the vast majority of economists agree that rent ...

5. More duplexes in Vancouver—one small step in the right direction

   Vancouver City Hall has certainly caught on to the fact that there’s plenty of room to grow in British Columbia’s biggest city. This week, at the city’s last council meeting before October’s municipal election, outgoing Mayor Gregor ...

6. Why a ‘renters rebate’ won’t help Metro Vancouverites

   In a recent interview, B.C. Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Selina Robinson reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to a “renters rebate” of $400 per renter household, annually. As appealing as this idea may sound to ...

7. It’s possible to build our way to housing affordability

   Housing continues to make headlines across the country, with many Canadians lamenting the high cost of homes particularly in our big cities. And yet, the best way to maintain broad affordability in prized housing markets is to build a ...

8. How the Wynne government killed the economics of building new rental units

   In an attempt to promote the construction of rental properties, Ontario’s Wynne government has announced it will fund 13 Ontario municipalities to rebate local fees for rental housing builders. Queen’s Park hopes that, by giving $125 ...

9. If the B.C. government wants to help renters, it should care about homebuilding

   British Columbia Premier John Horgan recently appointed a Rental Housing Task Force to advise the government on how to “improve security and fairness for renters and landlords throughout the province.” It’s encouraging that the ...