The Missing Middle Podcast

Recently, economist Mike Moffatt got into a bit of a Twitter argument with housing advocates who think a land value tax can solve the housing crisis. He doesn’t think so. 

This conversation explores the idea of a land value tax as a solution to the housing crisis. The hosts discuss the concept of a land value tax, which involves increasing the tax on the land portion of property and using the revenue for other purposes. They debate the effectiveness of this approach and its potential impact on housing development. 

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:31 Defining a Land Value Tax
03:15 The Functioning of the Current Property Tax System
04:30 The Concept of Taxing Land Value
06:00 Taxing Land and Structure Components
07:10 What are the advocates advocating for?
08:20 Different Proposals for a Land Value Tax
09:45 The City of Toronto's Approach to Housing Development
11:30 Is a Land Value Tax the Way To Go?
13:00 Increasing efficiency of a property?
14:44 Consequences of a Land Value Tax for Homeowners
16:11 Do we want to Live the plot of Happy Gilmore?
17:45 Picking a Political Fight We Don’t Need to Pick
20:00 Encouraging Advocacy for Fairness and Solutions
21:15 When to Dip Your Shirt In Lemon Juice


Links:
How To Remove Ballpoint Pen Ink Stains From Your Clothing
https://www.sourcecollections.com/pages/stain-guides-ball-point-ink-stains#:~:text=For%20felt%20pen%20stains%2C%20lemon,stain%20and%20let%20it%20dry.&text=Next%2C%20scrub%20the%20stain%20using,your%20fingers%2C%20with%20cold%20water.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.

The Missing Middle podcast team spoke to the presenters and will be sharing those interviews with you each week on Fridays.

Evan Saskin, an architect and builder, discusses his company Blue Lion Building and their focus on multi-unit urban infill residential buildings. They specialize in subdividing single-family housing lots to create multiple residential units.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Blue Lion Building
02:18 Designing Sustainable and High-Quality Housing
03:34 The Process of Building Infill Properties
06:23 Navigating Bureaucratic Challenges in Housing Development

Links:
Blue Lion Building https://www.bluelionbuilding.com/

Producers: 
Cara Stern https://twitter.com/carastern
Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin
Ruth Tecle

Technical production by Mike Greene https://www.instagram.com/mikegreenemedia/

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/
Brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

A recent Leger poll examined how young Canadians feel about their economic situation, and whether they're getting enough support from the government.

Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss the results, which found that millennials and Gen Z feel they are worse off than their parents. They also touch on the perception that politicians prioritize the interests of older generations over younger ones. The conversation highlights the need for more government support and better allocation of resources to address the struggles faced by millennials. Cara and Mike express concerns about the future and the impact of high taxes and debt on younger generations.

The conversation explores the challenges faced by millennials in Canada, focusing on topics such as housing affordability, education, career prospects, and government spending. 

Links:
Opinions and Perspectives of Young Canadians: https://leger360.com/opinions-and-perspectives-of-young-canadians/#:~:text=More%20than%20two%2Dthirds%20of,it%20was%20for%20their%20parents.

War on the Young: 
https://www.profgalloway.com/war-on-the-young/ 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Part of the Missing Middle Summit Series

On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.

The Missing Middle podcast team spoke to the presenters and will be sharing those interviews with you each week on Fridays for the next eight weeks.

First up is Eric Lombardi, founder of the YIMBY group More Neighbours Toronto, who talked about why missing middle homes are so important to build.

Production by Cara Stern, Meredith Martin, and Ruth Tecle
Technical production by Mike Greene

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

The number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has been increasing, and that has led to all sorts of concerns. There’s low youth employment levels, stagnant wages, and industries that rely entirely on low-wage temporary workers to keep prices low.

In this discussion, economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk about the different types of temporary residents, the support they receive from the government, and the impact they have on the economy and labour market.


Links:

Temporary residents in Canada rise to 2.8 million ahead of government restrictions

A snapshot of employment among youth in Canada

National Bank of Canada Hot Charts

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

If you get deep enough into the conversation about the housing crisis, you're inevitably going to hear the words "single egress". A lot of people, especially in Canada, think that the country is too strict with its stairwell rules, which require multiple exits for almost every multi-storey apartment building.

Conrad Speckert, intern architect at LGA Architectural Partners, thinks this needs to change, and tells Mike and Cara why.

Links:
This site is a guide for converting single family homes to multi-unit housing.

https://rehousing.ca/

Guest: Conrad Speckert https://x.com/conrad_speckert

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss return-to-office plans and the role of politicians in helping local business districts survive. It explores the controversy surrounding the mayor of Toronto's push to get workers back to the office and the potential negative impacts on workers, the environment, and affordability. The idea of converting unused office space into apartments is also discussed as a potential solution. 

More reading:

Olivia Chow wants to bring Toronto’s downtown back to life — and she’s meeting bank CEOs about increasing office days to do it

Is working from home killing downtown cores?

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the idea of a tax break for landlords in the UK who sell their homes to their tenants. They explore the potential impact of this policy and whether it could be applicable in Canada. They also discuss the broader housing crisis and the importance of choice between renting and owning a home. 

More reading:

Tories’ capital gains tax break stands to save landlords over £21,000 on average

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

In this discussion, Mike and Cara talk to Stephen Smith, executive director of the non-profit Center for Building in North America about how elevators and building codes have contributed to the housing crisis. 

Stephen describes how elevators in North America are much more expensive than in Europe due to size requirements, technical codes and standards, and labour issues. He suggests adopting a global standard for elevators  to improve housing options.

Guest:  Stephen Smith 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

Here at the Missing Middle, we get a lot of great listener questions. In this episode, we answer one about whether landlords' expectations play a role in unaffordable rental prices.

The conversation discusses the challenges faced by millennials and younger generations in Canada when it comes to homeownership and starting a family. It explores the increasing cost of housing, the shift in market behavior by investors, and the impact of policy changes on the rental market. The conversation also touches on the cultural shift in expectations of landlords and the difficulty of affording a down payment. 

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil