In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dig into why homeownership for Canadians under 40 has fallen off a cliff. Spoiler: it’s not just zoning, NIMBYs, or avocado toast. The federal government plays a much bigger role in today’s housing mess than it likes to admit.

They break down how rapid population growth collided with a massive slowdown in building family-sized homes, why “dog-crate condos” became the default housing plan, and how taxes, development charges, and investors quietly push prices even higher. They also ask the uncomfortable question: do first-time buyer programs actually help young people — or just lock in high prices?

From down payments that feel impossible, to policies that accidentally reward investors over families, this episode gets into what’s broken, who benefits, and what Ottawa could actually do if it wanted to bring the dream of homeownership back to life.

If you’ve ever wondered how Canada managed to make buying a home feel impossible — this one’s for you.

00:00 – Intro: Is the dream of homeownership dead?

01:08 – The Federal Role: Debunking the "Provincial Responsibility" trope

01:58 – How Federal immigration and monetary policy impact housing

04:12 – A Blueprint to Restore Homeownership: The 4 big hurdles

06:30 – Not All Units are Equal

10:22 – How Population Growth Affects Supply and Demand

12:06 – Time to Reduce Taxes on Homes

14:05 – Making It Easier for First-Time Buyers

16:14 – Will these Policies just Drive Prices Up?

17:59 – The "Second-Time Buyer" crisis and downsizing seniors

21:09 – Incentivizing Seniors to Downsize

22:00 - Getting investors out of single-family homes: The MURB plan

Research/Links

A Blueprint to Restore Homeownership for Young Canadians

https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/a-blueprint-to-restore-homeownership

The Quiet Death of the Investor Condo? MURBs May Change the Game

https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/the-quiet-death-of-the-investor-condo

How to get single family homes out of the hands of investors

https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/this-is-how-the-government-can-get-single-family-homes-out-of-the-hands-of/article_0f92b0f4-e67e-4a84-aa62-2c9316492363.html

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.