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  1. Proposed rent control rules already discouraging rental development in Ontario

    Appeared in the Toronto Sun, October 4, 2017 Amidst concerns over housing affordability in the Greater Toronto Area, the Wynne government is pressing ahead with tighter rent control laws. When the government first proposed an expansion to the province’s ...

  2. Canadians can access much bigger mortgages today compared to 15 years ago

    Amid speculation about what the Bank of Canada’s recent interest rate increase could mean for homebuyers, it’s important to remember the bigger picture—rates are historically low. Thanks to falling interest rates and growing incomes, ...

  3. Advice for Toronto’s next chief planner—give Torontonians housing options

    The City of Toronto recently announced that its chief planner, Jennifer Keesmaat, will step down from her role after five years at city hall. The ensuing transition presents an excellent opportunity for Toronto to tackle one of its most ...

  4. Interest Rates and Mortgage Borrowing Power in Canada

    One often-overlooked contributing factor to rising home prices in Canada is mortgage interest rates. Between 2000 and 2016, the prevailing mortgage interest rate declined from 7.0 percent o 2.7 percent. This decline resulted in a 52.9 percent ...

  5. By targeting foreign buyers, Queen’s Park misses the point

    Appeared in the Toronto Sun, July 30, 2017 According to a recent announcement from Queen’s Park, 4.7 per cent of properties purchased in Ontario’s Greater Golden Horseshoe (between April 24 and May 26) were acquired by foreign individuals or corporations. ...

  6. B.C. throne speech acknowledges importance of housing supply on affordability

    In its recent speech to the throne, the B.C. government added a laundry list of measures that were not included in its election platform. Regardless of the motivations for this manoeuver, the speech included an important admission on ...

  7. How an NDP-Green government can free up B.C.’s housing supply

    Appeared in the Vancouver Sun, June 12, 2017 In the wake of last month’s election, the NDP and Green Party appear poised to form the next government in Victoria. And yet, in their 10-page agreement, (which has sweeping implications for the future of ...

  8. Wynne government delivers another potential blow to housing affordability in Toronto

    Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 26, 2017 The Ontario government has decided to reform the Ontario Municipal Board, a quasi-judicial body that adjudicates land-use planning disputes in Ontario. While this may seem like a minor administrative tweak, it ...

  9. Ontario’s double-squeeze on new homes

    Appeared in the Toronto Sun, May 12, 2017 As public concern over skyrocketing home prices in Toronto reaches a fever pitch, governments are quick to point to external factors—foreign buyers, real estate speculators, supposed greedy landlords—but rarely ...

  10. 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 ...