The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern

By Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin

What's The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern about?

Welcome to the Missing Middle, a podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to reverse course.

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The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern episodes:

06.26.2024
Should Politicians Encourage a Return to the Office?
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...
06.20.2024
Should Landlords Get Tax Breaks to Sell to their Tenants?
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...
06.19.2024
How Elevator Rules Cost Us Homes
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...
06.12.2024
Are Landlords Greedier Than They Used to Be?
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...
06.05.2024
Could Trudeau Crash the Housing Market?
Recently, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau commented that home prices couldn't drop because so many people rely on their home's value for their retirement. But could a prime minister stop a housing crash if he wanted to? In this discussion, Mike and...
05.29.2024
Does Owning a House Secure Your Retirement?
In this conversation Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to certified financial planner and founder of the New School of Finance Shannon Lee Simmons, about saving for retirement. Canada’s National Institute for Aging recently did...
05.22.2024
Could More Supply Crash the Housing Market?
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern read a viewer email from Atanas Georgiev of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, who is wondering about potential negative side effects of a deflationary housing market if there is a...
05.15.2024
If Condo Sales are Down, Why Aren’t Prices?
Housing starts in Canada are falling, particularly in Ontario, and the situation is even worse than predicted. The non-condo ownership market has seen a massive decline over the last 20 years, with high land prices and development charges making it...
05.08.2024
Is Raising the Capital Gains Tax a Good Idea?
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern are joined by tax lawyer Bhuvana Rai with Mors Tribute and estate lawyer Birute Luksenaite with Portfolio Estate Law. They talk about the increase to the capital gains...
05.01.2024
Could a Renter's Bill of Rights Actually Help?
The federal government of Canada is exploring ways to help renters, such as through the introduction of a Renter’s Bill of Rights. This conversation examines the government’s promises, and covers what impact they might have on renters and rental prices....
04.24.2024
How Automatic Tax Filing Could Make Your Life Easier
In this discussion, Mike and Cara are joined by the executive director of Canadians for Tax Fairness Katrina Miller to discuss the benefits of automatic tax filing and how it can save people money. The conversation explores the concept of...
04.19.2024
Grading the Federal Budget: Housing Policy and Capital Gains Tax
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the federal budget and its impact on housing. They cover new initiatives, such as opening up federal land for development and the deductibility of interest for...
04.17.2024
Alex Beheshti: What Happened to Ontario's Housing Ambition?
Guest: Alex Beheshti, Senior Consultant with Altus Group Economic Consulting specializing in urban planning policy analysis, municipal fee reviews, and fiscal impacts of development. In this conversation, Cara, Mike, and Alex discuss the latest housing bill from the Ontario PC government....
04.12.2024
Why Trudeau is Bringing Back 30-Year Mortgages
In this conversation, economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the federal government's new plan to help first-time homebuyers by extending amortization periods on new homes. The conversation explores the reasons behind this decision and the potential impact on...
04.10.2024
Everyone Wants Rentals, but No One Wants Landlords
In this discussion, economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern about the great housing paradox: everyone wants landlords but no one wants landlords. Cara and Mike also discuss the different perspectives on who should own rental properties, including small-time landlords, big...
04.03.2024
Alex Bozikovic: Heritage Rules and the Housing Crisis
In this discussion, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss how heritage designation negatively impacts housing supply in Toronto. During this wide ranging conversation with Globe and Mail's architecture critic, Alex Bozikovic, they touch on the history of urban planning and...
03.29.2024
Ford, Fourplexes and the Free Market
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the recent revelation by Ontario Premier Doug Ford that he will be caving to NIMBY objections, and won’t be forcing municipalities to legalize fourplexes across the...
03.27.2024
Marc Miller: How The Immigration Minister Plans To Cut Immigration
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship of Canada, Marc Miller. Included in this wide ranging conversation is the recent announcement of new targets for...
03.20.2024
David Coletto: Why Millennials Broke Up with Trudeau
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Pollster David Coletto about the shifting priorities of millennials and the generational divides in financial stability and housing. He explains that younger Canadians are less...
03.13.2024
How Parking Minimums Hinder Home Construction
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss why parking minimums often require developers to allocate a fixed amount of land for parking, regardless of the actual demand for parking in a particular area....
03.08.2024
How to Build 5.8 Million Homes by 2030
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Cherise Burda, Director of City Building Research and Innovation at Toronto Metropolitan University and a co-author with Mike of the Blueprint for More and Better...
03.06.2024
How Central Banks Decide If Your Mortgage Goes Up
In this 22-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Scott Cameron, an economist formerly with the Parliamentary Budget Officer in Ottawa and now working in government in the Channel Islands. This conversation explores economic...
03.01.2024
Inflation, Interest Rates, and the Role of the Bank of Canada
In this conversation, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss inflation and the Bank of Canada's approach to managing it. They explore the factors that contribute to inflation, such as supply-side disruptions and demand-side spending. They also discuss the challenges of...
02.28.2024
Reece Martin: Canadians Pay Way Too Much to Build Transit
Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to transit expert Reece Martin about the challenges and issues surrounding transit development in Canada. He highlights the decline in the ability to deliver transit projects effectively, the high...
02.23.2024
How Does the Bank of Canada Affect Housing?
Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Armine Yalnizyan, economist and Atkinson Fellow On The Future Of Workers, about what role the Bank of Canada has played in the housing crisis. In this wide-ranging discussion,...
02.21.2024
How Should Economists Measure Happiness?
Because it’s a short week, instead of a full episode, we've got a short extra segment from our conversation with economist Armine Yalnizyan on whether GDP per capita is a good indicator of individual well-being. Hosted by Mike Moffatt &...
02.16.2024
Justice Queen: From Accidental Landlord to Housing Advocate
In this episode of The Missing Middle Podcast journalist Cara Stern welcomes Shaista, a long-time Toronto and 905 real estate observer who provides wonderful insights on everything from the state of Ontario’s tribunal system to the plight of international students....
02.14.2024
Is GDP Per Capita is a "Garbage Metric"?
A lot of people have been challenging the notion that GDP is a good measure of the economy. Instead, they suggest, we should look at GDP per capita to determine whether life is getting better for individuals, rather than the...
02.09.2024
Do Canada's Immigration Targets Make Sense?
Last week the federal government introduced a cap on international student visas. Going forward they will be distributed to the provinces on a per-capita basis. That got us thinking about Canada’s immigration policies in general. Canada’s openness to immigrants has...
02.06.2024
Soaring Rent and Low Vacancy in Canada's Latest Market Report
The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) released its annual Rental Market Report last week. With the national vacancy rate hitting a historic low and rent prices on a relentless climb, renters across the nation are feeling the squeeze. In...
01.30.2024
How Colleges Broke Canadian Immigration
The Canadian federal government announced a 2-year cap on international student permits making for some big headlines last week. This will severely limit the number of international students attending campuses in Ontario and British Columbia where the number of international...
01.23.2024
Sabrina Maddeaux: A Millennial Running to be a Conservative
Sabrina Maddeaux is a journalist and political commentator who announced that she’s seeking the Conservative nomination for Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill. In this 22-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern talk to Maddeaux about the housing...
01.19.2024
The Three Types of Middle Class
Politicians, policy makers, and journalists all talk about the middle class and how well they are doing economically speaking. Middle-class voters make up the bulk of the voting population so it makes political sense to court them. But what exactly...
01.16.2024
Is a 10.5% Property Tax Increase Reasonable?
The city of Toronto is currently contemplating a significant property tax hike as part of its proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The move is generating widespread discussion and debate among residents, businesses, and policymakers. In this 23-minute discussion,...
12.29.2023
John Rapley: Is Canada's Economy in Decline?
Canada’s place in the global world order is shifting and according to the Organization for Economic Development and Cooperation (OECD) Canada will be the worst-performing advanced economy over the next decade John Rapley is a political economist specializing in global...
12.22.2023
Trudeau Talks Capping International Student Visas
Yesterday was the first time Mike or Cara ever heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau signalling that his government would work to cap the number of international students allowed in the country, tying the numbers to available housing. Mike and Cara...
12.20.2023
How Pre-Approved Home Designs Could Help Affordability
In a throwback to the post-war era, Trudeau's federal government is looking into creating a catalogue of pre-approved home designs that they hope will speed up housing development. But why do they even matter, and where can they go wrong? Hosted...
12.15.2023
Why You Should Care About (and Understand) Bond Yields
Canadian bond yields have been fairly volatile in recent weeks...but what does that even mean, and why does it matter to anyone outside of the finance world? Mike gives a primer on what bond yields are, and why the middle class...
12.12.2023
How the BC Housing Minister is Going Big on Housing Supply
British Columbia's Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon joins Mike and Cara to talk about the big plans his government has to make it easier for developers to build homes. We cover everything from zoning, to immigration, and building with timber. Hosted by Mike...
11.24.2023
Trudeau Liberals' Fall Economic Statement Earns a C- Grade
Justin Trudeau's government released its Fall Economic Statement this week, introducing what Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland called meaty measures...and what Mike Moffatt grades at a C-. He explains why, and what they could have offered instead. Hosted by Mike Moffatt and...
11.10.2023
Green Leader Mike Schreiner on Fixing Housing in Ontario
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner joined Mike and Cara to talk about his two private member's bills that aim to increase housing supply, as well as how he hopes to represent young people who have been priced out of...
11.09.2023
Is Ontario Setting Up Cities to Fail Their Housing Targets?
The provincial government has set the target of 1.5 million homes in the province over a 10-year period. That involves major increases in the rate of construction, beyond anything we've seen in decades. To incentivize municipalities, the federal and provincial...
11.03.2023
How Realistic is this Housing Plan Anyway?
The Ontario NDP and Olivia Chow both recently released their housing plans. They're both big budget projects, but with wildly different calculations in how much it costs to build a home. Alex Beheshti is an urban planner and land economist...
10.26.2023
Are Development Charges Fair to Millennials and Gen Z?
A lot of politicians say that development charges are paid for out of the pockets of big developers, and save taxpayers from footing the bill for infrastructure. The question we have is: Is that really true? Hosted by Mike Moffatt and...
10.20.2023
Ontario Towns and Cities Debate Zoning for Multiplexes
When the Ontario government put together a Housing Affordability Task Force to advise them on housing policy, they got the advice to up-zone the whole province to a minimum of four units on any lot. The government decided against forcing...
10.05.2023
How the Left and Right Approach Economics These Days
Since Mike Moffatt has advised Justin Trudeau, and Sean Speer has advised Stephen Harper, we thought it would be fun to get them in a (virtual) room together to discuss how both sides of the political spectrum have changed their...
09.27.2023
How Universities and Colleges Make the Housing Crisis Worse
Mike's been talking for years about how Canada isn't considering international students in our immigration numbers. They all need places to live, so this oversight really messes with the housing market. Finally, politicians are starting to pay attention! He unpacks...
09.24.2023
Doug Ford Puts Land Back in the Greenbelt
Sean Speer, editor-at-large for The Hub, joins Cara and Mike to analyze what it means that Doug Ford reversed his land swap, and put the newly rezoned land back into the Greenbelt. Missing Middle is hosted by Mike Moffatt and...
09.19.2023
We Need More Competition
Mike gives an overview of 15 Minute Cities, and why he has some worries about what impact they might have on the middle class. Then Vass Bednar joins them to talk about why Canada needs more competition, especially in places such...
09.19.2023
Things Really are Different Now!
Welcome to the Missing Middle, a new podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to...

What's The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern episodes:

Should Politicians Encourage a Return to the Office?

Should Landlords Get Tax Breaks to Sell to their Tenants?

How Elevator Rules Cost Us Homes

Are Landlords Greedier Than They Used to Be?

Could Trudeau Crash the Housing Market?

Does Owning a House Secure Your Retirement?

Could More Supply Crash the Housing Market?

If Condo Sales are Down, Why Aren’t Prices?

Is Raising the Capital Gains Tax a Good Idea?

Could a Renter's Bill of Rights Actually Help?

How Automatic Tax Filing Could Make Your Life Easier

Grading the Federal Budget: Housing Policy and Capital Gains Tax

Alex Beheshti: What Happened to Ontario's Housing Ambition?

Why Trudeau is Bringing Back 30-Year Mortgages

Everyone Wants Rentals, but No One Wants Landlords

Alex Bozikovic: Heritage Rules and the Housing Crisis

Ford, Fourplexes and the Free Market

Marc Miller: How The Immigration Minister Plans To Cut Immigration

David Coletto: Why Millennials Broke Up with Trudeau

How Parking Minimums Hinder Home Construction

How to Build 5.8 Million Homes by 2030

How Central Banks Decide If Your Mortgage Goes Up

Inflation, Interest Rates, and the Role of the Bank of Canada

Reece Martin: Canadians Pay Way Too Much to Build Transit

How Does the Bank of Canada Affect Housing?

How Should Economists Measure Happiness?

Justice Queen: From Accidental Landlord to Housing Advocate

Is GDP Per Capita is a "Garbage Metric"?

Do Canada's Immigration Targets Make Sense?

Soaring Rent and Low Vacancy in Canada's Latest Market Report

How Colleges Broke Canadian Immigration

Sabrina Maddeaux: A Millennial Running to be a Conservative

The Three Types of Middle Class

Is a 10.5% Property Tax Increase Reasonable?

John Rapley: Is Canada's Economy in Decline?

Trudeau Talks Capping International Student Visas

How Pre-Approved Home Designs Could Help Affordability

Why You Should Care About (and Understand) Bond Yields

How the BC Housing Minister is Going Big on Housing Supply

Trudeau Liberals' Fall Economic Statement Earns a C- Grade

Green Leader Mike Schreiner on Fixing Housing in Ontario

Is Ontario Setting Up Cities to Fail Their Housing Targets?

How Realistic is this Housing Plan Anyway?

Are Development Charges Fair to Millennials and Gen Z?

Ontario Towns and Cities Debate Zoning for Multiplexes

How the Left and Right Approach Economics These Days

How Universities and Colleges Make the Housing Crisis Worse

Doug Ford Puts Land Back in the Greenbelt

We Need More Competition

Things Really are Different Now!

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