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

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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 Cara discuss the idea of how much control the federal government has over home prices. They examine the impact of policies on affordability, and the challenges of balancing the interests of different stakeholders. It delves into the complexities of housing markets and the role of government in preventing price crashes and maintaining affordability.

More Reading:
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/article-trudeau-house-prices-affordability/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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 a survey of 6,000 older Canadians to find out how they feel about the prospect of retirement. The results were definitive. Most survey respondents, all of whom are 50 or older, do not feel that they are financially secure enough to be able to retire when they want to. 44 percent of them had not put away any money for retirement in the last year and another 44 per cent of the 55-65 age cohort  had less than $5,000 in savings. 

Cara, Mike and Shannon dive into why that is, what role home ownership plays in saving for retirement.

More reading:

New School of Finance

Perspectives on Growing Older in Canada: The 2023 NIA Ageing
in Canada Survey

The Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) commissioned Abacus Data to conduct its fifth Canadian Retirement Survey in the spring of 2023.

An American perspective

Shannon Lee Simmons’ books

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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 drastic increase in housing supply. They explore the definition of affordability and the various pathways to achieving it, including reducing expenses, lowering interest rates, and increasing wages. They also discuss the possibility of building more supply in walkable neighborhoods and the potential impact on home prices.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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 unaffordable for buyers. Yet prices aren’t coming down. Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss this challenge and its effect on getting supply in both the rental and ownership markets.

More reading:

We need more than big promises to solve our housing crisis

https://thehub.ca/2024-05-09/mike-moffatt-we-need-more-than-promises-to-solve-our-housing-crisis/?utm_medium=paid+social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=boost

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

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 tax introduced by the government in the federal budget on April 16, 2024. They explain what capital gains are and how they are currently taxed. They also explore the arguments for and against the increase in the inclusion rate, including the potential impact on investment, fairness, and the ability of individuals to pass on assets to their children. 

The conversation highlights the complexity and competing opinions surrounding this tax policy change. The conversation explores the potential impact of the proposed changes to the capital gains tax in Canada. The guests discuss the challenges and concerns surrounding the new legislation, including the short timeline for implementation and the lack of opportunity for feedback. They also delve into the specific implications for different groups, such as doctors and small business owners, who may be disproportionately affected by the changes. 

Guests: Bhuvana Rai Tax Lawyer with Mors Tribute https://www.morstribute.ca/
Birute Luksenaite an Estate lawyer with Portfolio Estate Law https://portfoliolaw.ca/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.