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1. Squamish Nation’s bold housing plans put Vancouver City Hall to shame

   Appeared in the Globe and Mail, November 7, 2019 What happens when you remove onerous regulations that prevent new homes from getting built where they’re needed most? Just ask the Squamish Nation, which recently doubled the size of a planned residential ...

2. Ontario housing measures—short-term gain for long-term pain?

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, August 27, 2017 The Wynne government this summer introduced a raft of measures aimed at reining in the price of buying or renting a home in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). As laudable as this goal may be, the government’s ...

3. Housing in Vancouver—the city can’t be both low-density and affordable

   Appeared in the Vancouver Province, May 4, 2017 Housing prices in B.C. have caused a media frenzy, as analysts, pundits and activists wrestle with how to improve affordability in Vancouver. So far, the discussion has fixated on foreign buyers, speculators ...

4. When reviewing the OMB, Queen’s Park should not lose sight of housing affordability

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, March 13, 2017 The Ontario government is reviewing the role played by the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), an independent tribunal that hears cases relating to land-use policies. While this may seem like a minor bureaucratic ...

5. Ontario opposes foreign buyers tax, but housing affordability must be addressed

   Appeared in Toronto Sun, November 6, 2016 Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne has announced that the province will not introduce a property transfer tax on foreign buyers, similar to that introduced in British Columbia. The premier and her government should be ...

6. Governments should care what Ontario homebuilders think about regulation

   Appeared in the Globe and Mail, October 6, 2016 Housing headlines are everywhere. Federal Finance Minister Bill Morneau recently announced a raft of housing reforms. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Toronto Mayor John Tory recently rang alarms bells on ...

7. To reduce housing costs in Toronto, cut red tape around new construction

   Appeared in the Toronto Sun, August 3, 2016 Last week, the provincial government in British Columbia announced it would impose an additional 15 per cent tax on foreign homebuyers in Greater Vancouver. The goal is to slow the runaway growth of housing ...

8. Red tape drives Canada’s housing affordability woes—not foreign buyers

   Appeared in the Globe and Mail, July 28, 2016 Foreign nationals purchasing homes in Metro Vancouver and the Greater Toronto Area is a topic that continues to make national headlines, especially as housing prices rise. This came to a head recently when B.C ...

9. Foreign purchase tax ignores crucial source of unaffordability in Vancouver—dearth of supply

   Appeared in the Vancouver Province, July 27, 2016 In response to the fear that foreign homebuyers are driving up Vancouver housing prices, the provincial government has decided to introduce an additional 15 per cent property transfer tax on foreign home ...

10. Local regulations limit Metro Vancouver housing supply, stifle affordability

    Appeared in the Vancouver Sun, July 8, 2016 Vancouver might have the best scenery of Canada’s metropolises, but its real claim to fame is sky-high housing prices, which have risen 86 per cent over the last decade. Common explanations for this relentless ...