🏘️ Our Crumbling Foundation
Housing Crisis Solutions
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For too long, we've pretended Canada's housing disaster is some force of nature—an unfortunate economic hiccup that happened to us rather than because of us. But let's cut through the noise: this crisis isn't an accident. It's the foreseeable outcome of policy choices, financial interests, and a collective failure to treat housing as a basic human need rather than an investment vehicle.
The numbers alone should stop us cold. Home prices in Canada have tripled while other costs have risen by just 43%. We face a shortfall of 3.5 million homes by 2030—on top of the 2.3 million we already needed. In real human terms, this means young families priced out of stability, renters trapped in a cycle of rising costs and declining quality, and vulnerable populations pushed into precarious living situations or outright homelessness.
The Myths We Tell Ourselves
If you listen to the political class, you'd think this crisis emerged from thin air. "No one could have predicted," they say. "Market forces," they claim. "We're working on solutions," they promise.
Bullshit.
The truth is we've spent decades dismantling the systems that once created housing stability:
Public housing investments have plummeted since the 1980s, with federal involvement all but disappearing
Single-family zoning has locked up vast swaths of our cities, creating artificial scarcity in our most opportunity-rich areas
Financial deregulation turned homes into speculative assets, decoupling their value from local incomes
Short-term rental platforms hollowed out rental stocks while municipalities dawdled on regulation
Our current housing emergency isn't mysterious—it's precisely what happens when you treat shelter as a commodity and leave its provision primarily to profit-driven markets.
Learning from Success Stories
The most infuriating aspect of this crisis is that solutions exist. They're working elsewhere in the world, often in places facing equal or greater pressures than Canada:
Tokyo, Japan maintains remarkably stable rents despite being one of the world's largest metropolitan areas. How? By consistently building housing, year after year, regardless of market swings. Their zoning system focuses on building types and impacts rather than restricting how many households can occupy a space. The result: someone like Susan Chen pays about $800 monthly for a one-bedroom apartment—a quarter of what she'd pay in Vancouver.
Helsinki, Finland has nearly eliminated homelessness through their "Housing First" approach. Rather than demanding people solve addiction or mental health challenges before "earning" shelter, Finland provides unconditional housing as the foundation for recovery. Between the mid-1980s and 2021, they reduced single homelessness from 20,000 to under 4,000 people. Cost-benefit analyses suggest this approach may actually save money compared to the endless cycle of emergency services.
Berlin, Germany maintains a robust co-op housing sector representing about 12% of rental units. Some of these co-ops date back to the 1800s, providing generations of stable, affordable housing with resident governance. While Berlin isn't immune to housing pressures, this co-op foundation creates meaningful alternatives to pure market rentals.
Paris, France combines public investment in social housing, prioritized infill development, and, crucially, mandatory construction quotas for towns with financial penalties for non-compliance. They've also pioneered creative solutions like the "real solidarity lease" that separates land ownership from buildings, reducing purchase prices by about 30%.
The Human Costs of Inaction
Behind the statistics are crushing human realities that should shame us as a society:
Military personnel refusing postings to the National Capital Region because even with allowances, they can't afford to live there
Rooming houses in Ottawa with such squalid conditions they've led to deaths
Families with children being illegally refused apartments in Montreal, compounding child homelessness
Refugees arriving in Calgary unable to find stable housing despite government assistance
Students across Quebec universities unable to focus on education as they struggle with basic shelter needs
Perhaps most emblematic is Pornima Molossetti's story from Toronto. After buying a pre-construction home in 2021 for $1.9 million, interest rate hikes in 2022 suddenly pushed her estimated mortgage payments to an impossible $10,000 monthly. Simultaneously, the bank appraised the completed home at only $1.6 million—creating a $300,000 funding gap she needed to cover. The builder offered no flexibility, pointing to binding contracts despite the economic earthquake.
This isn't just a housing crisis—it's a social catastrophe unfolding in slow motion, eroding community bonds, economic mobility, and basic security.
The Solutions We're Not Choosing
The most frustrating aspect is that we know what works. We have the tools. What we lack is political courage and public pressure to implement them at scale:
Mandate housing production targets with real consequences for municipalities that fail to meet them, as Paris has done
Reform zoning to allow more housing types by right in all residential areas, eliminating the costly case-by-case approval battles that slow production
Reinvest in public and non-profit housing at massive scale, recognizing that the market alone cannot solve housing needs at all income levels
Implement strong protections for renters while ensuring new construction remains financially viable
Tax housing speculation while rewarding long-term, stable housing provision
Adopt Housing First approaches for addressing homelessness, recognizing that stability is the foundation for addressing other challenges
End discrimination in housing through stronger enforcement of existing laws and expanded protected categories
The roadmap exists. What's missing is the political will to challenge entrenched interests that benefit from the status quo.
Moving Beyond Incrementalism
The solutions currently being implemented in Canada are woefully inadequate to the scale of the crisis:
Toronto and Victoria eliminating single-family zoning is promising but overdue
B.C.'s restrictions on short-term rentals beginning in 2024 address one factor but not the structural issues
Converting empty office towers to apartments in Calgary offers potential but won't meet the massive need
Eliminating parking minimums helps but represents just one small piece of a complex puzzle
What's needed isn't incremental tinkering but transformative change—the kind that recognizes housing as infrastructure essential to our collective wellbeing rather than an investment vehicle for the already wealthy.
The Choice Before Us
Canada stands at a crossroads. We can continue treating housing as primarily an asset class, watching as inequality deepens and communities fracture. Or we can reclaim housing as a public good—something that, like healthcare, forms the foundation of a functioning society.
The housing crisis wasn't inevitable. It was created through policy choices and can be solved through better ones. The question isn't whether we know how to fix it—it's whether we'll demand leaders with the courage to act at the necessary scale.
The next time a politician offers band-aid solutions to a gushing wound, we should remember: this crisis exists by design, not by accident. And it will persist until we collectively decide that housing security for all matters more than investment returns for some.
The evidence is clear. The choice is ours.
Link References
Our Crumbling Foundation: How We Solve Canada's Housing Crisis
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STUDY MATERIALS
Briefing Document
Summary:
These excerpts from Gregor Craigie's "Our Crumbling Foundation" provide a multi-faceted look at the global housing crisis, particularly focusing on challenges in Canada and contrasting them with approaches and outcomes in other countries like Japan, Germany, France, Finland, Singapore, Mexico, Ireland, and the United States. The central argument is that housing affordability is a critical and worsening issue, especially in Canada, impacting individuals, families, and the country as a whole. The sources highlight various contributing factors, including restrictive zoning, financialization of housing, inadequate supply, lack of government investment in public/social housing, and the impact of short-term rentals. Crucially, the excerpts explore diverse strategies and solutions employed in other nations and by specific communities, ranging from national zoning reform and robust public housing programs to innovative construction methods and tenant protections, offering potential lessons for Canada.
Key Themes and Important Ideas:
The Growing Housing Affordability Crisis in Canada:
The author highlights the drastic increase in housing costs in Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto, making homeownership unattainable for many, including middle-class professionals. The personal anecdote of the author being unable to afford his first home today, despite a comfortable income, underscores this point.
The crisis is not limited to homeownership; rental costs are also escalating rapidly, forcing difficult choices and impacting quality of life for renters. Rebecca Bain's experience in Montreal's St-Henri neighbourhood illustrates gentrification and the displacement of long-term residents, particularly the elderly on fixed incomes.
The lack of affordable housing has significant social and personal consequences, leading to stress, isolation, difficulty forming communities, and hindering individuals' ability to settle down and "nest in." Nicola Montgomery's experience in Toronto exemplifies this emotional toll.
Homelessness is presented as a direct consequence of this unaffordability and lack of support systems, as seen in the tragic story of Pasi Hietanen in Helsinki before the implementation of Housing First, and the visible homeless camps in Canadian cities like Victoria and Vancouver.
Supply and Demand Imbalance:
A central argument is that Canada, particularly its major cities, suffers from a significant housing supply shortage that is failing to keep pace with population growth and demand. This is a key driver of unaffordability.
While developers are active, the pace of construction is often hindered by bureaucratic processes and regulations. Luke Mari, a developer in Victoria, expresses frustration with the "two to three years on average" application process in the city, leading to project delays and even cancellation ("projects... just die on the vine!").
The federal government's decision thirty years ago to "stop building public housing in large quantities" is cited as a contributing factor to the current housing shortage and mass homelessness.
Restrictive Zoning as a Major Impediment to Supply:
Municipal zoning regulations, particularly single-family exclusionary zoning, are identified as a significant barrier to increasing housing density and supply.
Associate professor Tom Davidoff calls allowing municipal governments "full control of land use" an "unforced error," arguing it makes it "fiendishly difficult or downright impossible to build more housing."
The Housing Affordability Task Force in Ontario concluded that a land shortage is not the problem, but rather the need to "modernize our zoning rules" and make "better use of land." They strongly advocated for "as-of-right zoning" to bypass lengthy consultation processes.
Examples are given of Canadian cities (Toronto, Victoria) and provinces (British Columbia) beginning to eliminate single-family zoning, though the effectiveness of these changes in increasing supply is still being evaluated. The case of Victoria's Missing Middle Housing Initiative illustrates how poorly implemented policy, despite aiming to increase density, can still be uneconomical for builders.
Financialization and Commodification of Housing:
The excerpts touch upon how housing has increasingly become an investment commodity rather than primarily a place to live. This is explicitly mentioned in the context of Singapore's policies designed to prevent speculation and ensure housing remains "first and foremost a place to live, not an investment."
The phenomenon of "rentalpreneurs" like Scott Shatford in Santa Monica, who profited by converting long-term rental units into short-term vacation rentals ("arbitrary opportunity—taking advantage of differing prices for the same commodity"), illustrates how financial incentives can remove housing from the long-term market and contribute to rent increases.
Strategies to combat financialization are suggested, including vacancy taxes ("put twenty thousand more apartments into the rental market"), anti-flipping taxes, and measures to prevent money laundering in real estate.
The Impact of Short-Term Rentals (Airbnb):
The rise of short-term rental platforms like Airbnb is presented as a direct threat to long-term rental supply and affordability in popular destinations.
The case study of Santa Monica demonstrates how vacation rentals (whole homes rented for less than 30 days) were banned to return units to the long-term market. The city's enforcement efforts, including prosecuting individuals like Scott Shatford, highlight a determined approach to regulation.
In Montreal, the conversion of apartments into short-term tourist rentals is shown to be causing evictions and changing the character of neighbourhoods, as lamented by Pierre Lessard-Blais and Rebecca Bain. The lack of provincial law supporting municipal bans is highlighted as a barrier.
Alternative Housing Models and International Examples:
Tokyo: Presented as a contrasting example to Vancouver, where rents have remained stable despite being a global financial center. This is attributed to national zoning laws ("the central government took zoning control away from local governments in one fell swoop") that facilitate rapid and relatively cheap construction, ensuring ample supply.
Finland (Housing First): Highlighted as a successful model for tackling homelessness by providing unconditional housing and necessary support services. Pasi Hietanen's story demonstrates the transformative power of having stable housing ("revolutionized my life"; "I wouldn’t be here telling you my story without this apartment and the social workers"). The Y-Foundation's approach and the government's ambitious goals to end homelessness by increasing social housing supply are presented as evidence of a "doable" strategy.
Germany (Housing Co-operatives and Renting Culture): Showcased as a nation where renting is the norm for over half the population, providing a "financial buffer" through rent controls. Housing co-operatives (owning 10% of rental units) offer a community-oriented model, though challenges exist with large property companies circumventing rent controls. The Berlin referendum on expropriating large corporate landlords reflects public frustration with rising rents, though the non-binding nature of the vote and delays in building new housing present challenges.
France (Public/Social Housing): Demonstrates a government-led effort to significantly increase affordable social housing stock in the Île-de-France region through tax incentives, waived property taxes, low-interest loans, and mandates for local governments to achieve specific social housing quotas ("at least 30 percent of their total housing stock by 2030... or else"). The repurposing of buildings like La Samaritaine department store illustrates creative land use.
Singapore (Government-Controlled Public Housing): Presented as a model with "strong government controls" where over 80% of the population lives in public flats. Key features include policies preventing speculation (one public flat ownership, high stamp duty for foreigners), the Central Provident Fund (CPF) to help citizens save for down payments, and the creation of well-planned "new towns" with integrated amenities and transit. While achieving high homeownership, the model has "unintended consequences" related to social control, ethnic quotas, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Modular Housing (Ireland, Germany): Discussed as a fast and efficient method for providing secure and stable housing, particularly for migrants and in response to crises. Examples from Ireland and Germany illustrate its practicality and ability to be deployed relatively quickly, despite challenges in finding available land in dense urban areas.
3-D Printing (Mexico): Explored as an innovative and potentially more sustainable construction method for providing affordable housing, particularly in areas prone to natural disasters and poverty. The project in Nacajuca, Mexico, demonstrates the speed and efficiency of 3D printing homes that are designed to be more resilient to floods and earthquakes.
The Role of Indigenous Nations in Addressing Housing Shortages:
The Sen̓áḵw village project by the Squamish Nation near downtown Vancouver is presented as a significant example of rapid and large-scale housing development that is exempt from municipal zoning regulations. The nation's ability to approve projects quickly and its leaders' "social capital" within the community are highlighted as factors enabling faster progress compared to municipalities.
The project represents a strategic use of ancestral land to generate wealth for the community and address the "urgent needs for affordable housing, education, and social services" for Squamish members.
Potential Solutions and Policy Recommendations:
The excerpts implicitly and explicitly suggest various policies based on the international examples and analysis of the Canadian context. These include:
Increased government investment in public and social housing.
Significant reform or elimination of restrictive zoning regulations, particularly single-family zoning, in favor of allowing more density ("renovation revolution" allowing up to six units per lot, as-of-right zoning).
Government intervention to discourage speculation and financialization of housing (vacancy taxes, anti-flipping taxes, anti-money laundering measures).
Regulation of short-term rentals to protect the long-term rental supply.
Exploring alternative construction methods like modular housing and 3D printing for speed and efficiency.
Considering housing co-operatives and other non-market housing models.
Investing in public transportation to make more affordable areas accessible.
Implementing Housing First models to address homelessness effectively.
Potentially considering measures like rent control between tenancies and rental registries to improve tenant security and transparency.
Significant Quotes:
"Today, my journalist salary combined with my wife’s teacher salary simply wouldn’t be enough to buy that house, or the one I now call home. I thought of my young colleagues who won’t have the same opportunity I had, simply because they were born too late." (Author reflecting on housing affordability in Vancouver)
"We’ve now realized it’s untenable for the province to delegate full control of land use to municipalities." (Tom Davidoff on municipal zoning)
"There’s much more choice in Tokyo... not just a few places that everyone is fighting over." (Fri McWilliams on Tokyo's rental market)
"My rent is just one-quarter of what it would be if I moved to Vancouver." (Susan Chen comparing Tokyo and Vancouver rents)
"Leaving municipal governments free to block so much new construction for so long was an 'unforced error.'" (Tom Davidoff on the provincial housing strategy in BC)
"If we want more Ontarians to have housing, we need to build more housing in Ontario." (Ontario’s provincial Housing Task Force)
"Every community with more than 1,500 people was told it must increase its share of social housing to 25 percent by the year 2025—or else." (French government mandate for social housing)
"You can’t get sober when you’re homeless—no one can." (Former social worker housed through Housing First in Helsinki)
"Frankly speaking, it’s not some kind of utopia. It’s actually doable." (Juha Kahila on increasing social housing supply to end homelessness in Finland)
"Someone who rents out their home for a week during their vacation is fine. But when it’s more than 30 days a year, it becomes a business that prevents a family from having access to housing in a residential area." (Pierre Lessard-Blais on short-term rentals in Montreal)
"It’s like, ‘Okay, cool, what can I actually make to live on this property as a real commercial property?’ And that’s the interesting thing we see happening—people are actually paying premiums, bidding up, getting into bidding wars for properties that have predictable revenue or have revenue streams that are going to be pretty substantial." (Scott Shatford on turning homes into hotels for profit)
"These measures aren’t accidents—they are specific choices that were made in an effort to ensure housing would remain first and foremost a place to live, not an investment." (On Singapore's housing policies)
"Despite being in a common-law relationship, Jove would not be eligible for any of the generous home purchase incentives offered to young straight couples back home. 'My relationship with Singapore is more complex because of my gender identity and my sexuality.'" (Jove Nazatul on Singapore's housing policies and discrimination)
"It absolutely made me think, ‘What’s the point of making friends, and investing a lot of time and effort into something, if we’re just going to leave?’... 'It’s so nice to be able to settle down and nest in and create a life, but we can’t really do that here.'" (Nicola Montgomery on the impact of housing unaffordability on community and mental health)
"We take projects and put a lot of care and attention into them, and they just die on the vine!" (Luke Mari on building delays in Victoria)
"We have low taxation and high expectations, but when you look at the countries that are building mass public housing, their taxes are all much higher than ours." (Luke Mari on funding affordable housing)
"The wealth generated from these lands can then be recirculated into our local economies and communities to address our people’s urgent needs for affordable housing, education, and social services." (Khelsilem on the Sen̓áḵw project)
Conclusion:
The excerpts from "Our Crumbling Foundation" present a compelling case for the severity of the housing affordability crisis, particularly in Canada. By drawing on a range of international examples, the author effectively illustrates that different policy choices lead to vastly different housing outcomes. The primary obstacles in Canada are identified as a lack of sufficient supply driven by restrictive zoning and inadequate government investment in social housing, exacerbated by the financialization of housing and the impact of short-term rentals. The experiences of other countries and specific communities, while not without their own challenges (e.g., Singapore's social controls, Tokyo's aesthetics), offer valuable insights into alternative approaches, emphasizing the potential of government intervention, zoning reform, innovative construction, and prioritizing housing as a human need rather than purely a market commodity. The briefing underscores the urgent need for significant policy shifts in Canada to address this multifaceted crisis.
Quiz & Answer Key
Quiz
According to Gregor Craigie, what does the term "housing" encompass in this book?
Why does Craigie state that his and his wife's salaries wouldn't be enough to buy their first house in Vancouver today?
According to associate professor Tom Davidoff, what is considered an "unforced error" in British Columbia's housing strategy?
What is one of the key reasons cited for Tokyo's relative housing affordability?
How did the Urban Renaissance Special Measure Law in Japan impact local governments?
What radical plan did over 57% of Berlin voters support in a 2021 referendum regarding rental buildings?
What is the core principle of Finland's "Housing First" strategy?
Why was Jean-François unable to prevent his eviction in Montreal despite his landlord's plan to convert the apartments to short-term rentals?
What is rental arbitrage, as described in the context of Scott Shatford's Airbnb business in Santa Monica?
What is one significant measure Singapore has implemented to prevent housing from being primarily an investment vehicle?
Answer Key
In this book, Craigie uses the term "housing" broadly to include home ownership, rentals, shared living, and even less traditional arrangements like living in an RV. He acknowledges that not everyone in less traditional arrangements lives there by choice.
Craigie explains that while he and his wife were able to afford their first home seventeen years ago with their salaries, current market conditions mean their combined income would no longer be sufficient to buy that same house or their current home.
According to Davidoff, the "unforced error" was the province's decision to delegate full control of land use and thus the ability to block new construction to municipal governments for so long.
One key reason is that rents in Tokyo have remained relatively stable since 2008, unlike in many other places where they have risen significantly. The text also highlights a large supply of affordable and safe rental options.
The law effectively took zoning control away from local governments and set building and planning laws nationally, leaving municipalities with little control over development and allowing for faster construction.
Over 57% of Berlin voters supported the expropriation of rental buildings from property companies that owned 3,000 or more individual suites.
The core principle of Housing First is providing unconditional housing to homeless individuals, believing that stable housing is essential before addressing other challenges like addiction or mental illness.
Provincial laws at the time restricted municipal bans on short-term rental conversions to residential areas, and there were no specific bans in place to prevent evictions for this purpose.
Rental arbitrage, in Shatford's case, involved signing long-term leases on properties and then renting them out on a short-term basis for a profit, taking advantage of the price difference between the two rental markets.
Singapore discourages real estate speculation by limiting residents to owning only one public flat at a time and imposing a high stamp duty tax on foreigners purchasing property.
Essay Questions
Essay Format Questions
Analyze and compare the approaches to housing affordability and supply in Tokyo and Singapore, drawing on specific examples and policies discussed in the text.
Discuss the impact of zoning regulations and land use policies on housing affordability in Canadian cities, using examples from Vancouver, Victoria, and the Greenbelt area in Ontario.
Evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies for addressing homelessness presented in the text, focusing on the "Housing First" model in Helsinki and the challenges faced in Canadian cities.
Examine the rise of short-term rentals and their consequences for the long-term rental market and housing affordability in cities like Santa Monica and Montreal, citing specific examples from the source material.
Explore the concept of housing as a human right versus housing as an investment, drawing on examples and perspectives from various international locations discussed in the book.
Glossary of Key Terms
Glossary of Key Terms
Arbitrage Opportunity: Taking advantage of differing prices for the same commodity in different markets. In the context of housing, this often refers to renting a property on a long-term lease and then renting it out on a short-term basis for profit.
As-of-Right Zoning: Zoning that allows developers to proceed with certain types of construction projects without requiring lengthy public consultations or zoning bylaw amendments, provided the project meets pre-defined standards.
Central Provident Fund (CPF): Singapore's mandatory comprehensive social security savings plan, which plays a significant role in helping citizens save for housing, healthcare, and retirement.
Cottage Clusters: Small groupings of small houses built on a single lot, often sharing a communal courtyard.
Expropriation: The act of a government taking privately owned property for public use, with compensation to the owner. In the text, this is discussed in the context of Berlin voters supporting the nationalization of large rental building portfolios.
Financialization of Housing: The increasing treatment of housing as a financial asset for investment and profit rather than primarily as a place to live.
Freehold Ownership: A form of property ownership (typically called fee-simple in Canada) where the owner has access to the property indefinitely and only needs to obey laws, bylaws, and zoning regulations.
Greenbelt: Protected areas of undeveloped land, often surrounding urban areas, intended to limit urban sprawl and preserve natural habitats and farmland.
Housing First: A strategy for addressing homelessness that prioritizes providing immediate, unconditional housing to individuals, recognizing that stable housing is a necessary foundation for addressing other issues.
Modular Housing: Buildings constructed off-site in modules that are then transported and assembled at the final location.
Public Flats (HDB Flats): High-rise residential buildings built and managed by Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB), providing affordable housing options for a large portion of the population.
Redlining: A discriminatory practice in which services (financial and otherwise) are withheld from potential customers who reside in neighborhoods classified as 'high-risk,' often based on racial or ethnic composition.
Renoviction: The eviction of tenants by a landlord under the guise of needing to renovate the property, with the intention of re-renting it at a significantly higher rate or converting it to another use.
Rental Arbitrage: See Arbitrage Opportunity.
Rentalpreneur: A term used to describe individuals who operate businesses focused on short-term rentals, often without owning the properties themselves.
Rent Control: Government regulations that limit the amount by which landlords can increase rent, intended to protect tenants from excessive rent hikes.
Short-Term Rentals: The practice of renting out residential properties for brief periods, typically less than 30 days, often facilitated by platforms like Airbnb.
Single-Family Exclusionary Zoning: Zoning regulations that restrict the development of residential properties to only single-family detached homes, often limiting density and contributing to housing shortages and affordability issues.
Social Housing: Housing that is subsidized or owned by the government or non-profit organizations, typically provided at below-market rates to low- and moderate-income individuals and families.
Stamp Duty: A tax levied on the purchase of property, used in some locations (like Singapore) to discourage foreign investment in real estate.
Vacancy Tax: A tax imposed on residential properties that are left vacant for a certain period, intended to incentivize owners to rent out or sell unused housing units.
Void Deck: A communal space located on the ground floor of many HDB flat blocks in Singapore, available for residents to reserve for various gatherings and activities.
Zoning Regulations: Local government rules that dictate how land in specific areas can be used and what types of buildings can be constructed there, influencing density, building height, and the mix of residential and commercial properties.
Timeline of Main Events
1907: The population of Singapore is approximately 250,000.
1913: A racially restrictive covenant is placed on a property in the Laurelhurst neighborhood of Portland, Oregon, prohibiting use or occupation by Chinese, Japanese, or "negroes," except as servants.
1920s: The British create the Singapore Investment Trust to address overcrowding in Singapore.
1924: Portland, Oregon introduces its first zoning codes, including single-family zoning.
1930s: Many more areas in Portland are rezoned to single-family use to protect real estate values and facilitate access to federally insured loans.
1930s onwards: The US government's Home Owners' Loan Corporation assesses neighborhoods across America and categorizes them for lending through a color-coded system ("redlining").
1937: An appraiser describes Lower Albina in Portland as the city's "Melting Pot" and "nearest approach to a 'slum district'," noting the concentration of the Black population and other ethnic groups.
End of WWII: The population of Singapore is nearly a million, and the destruction of homes during the war has increased crowding and poor living conditions.
1948: The US Supreme Court declares racially restrictive covenants unenforceable.
1948: The Vanport public housing project in Portland, where many Black shipbuilders lived, is swept away by a flood and abandoned, forcing residents to seek housing elsewhere, often in the redlined Albina area due to racial covenants.
1959: Singapore gains independence from British rule. Lee Kuan Yew becomes Prime Minister with housing as a top priority. He disbands the Singapore Investment Trust and creates the Housing and Development Board (HDB).
1961: A large fire in a Singapore squatters' camp prompts the government to pass a more aggressive law allowing acquisition of land cleared by fire or natural disaster.
1960s: The HDB in Singapore acquires more land and builds tens of thousands of new homes.
1964: The HDB in Singapore founds the Home Ownership for the People Scheme.
Mid-1960s: Hundreds of thousands of people in Singapore have moved into new HDB flats.
1968: The US government passes the Fair Housing Act, aiming to end unfair housing practices like redlining.
1977: The federal government establishes Kitsilano Indian Reserve no. 6 in Vancouver under the Indian Act.
Less than a decade after 1877: The federal government begins carving up Kitsilano Indian Reserve no. 6.
1980s: Francesco, while working for his father's company, sees the lack of tools for communities in Mexico to make concrete blocks and build better lives. This sparks the idea for ¡Échale a tu casa!.
1990s: The Portland Housing Bureau finds evidence that banks continued to practice redlining in Portland until this decade.
Around 2005: The Singapore government owns 90 percent of the land in Singapore.
2008: Airbnb is started in San Francisco.
2008: Fri moves back to Japan.
2008: An American entrepreneur moves to Finland after the financial crisis and eventually becomes homeless before applying for housing with the Y-Foundation.
Fall 2012: Airbnb is valued at over a billion dollars.
2013: Scott Shatford is laid off from his corporate job and begins renting out his Santa Monica apartment on Airbnb.
2014: Scott Shatford, without owning property, is earning over $300,000 a year from Airbnb rentals in Santa Monica.
2015: More than a million public housing units remain in Île-de-France (Paris region), and governments decide hundreds of thousands more are needed, introducing incentives and requirements for social housing construction.
Spring 2015: Santa Monica city councillors vote unanimously in favor of a new ordinance banning vacation rentals of whole homes (rentals less than 30 days without the primary resident on-site) but allowing home-sharing (renting a room with the resident present).
2015: Germany houses migrants through low-rise modular construction.
2016: Singapore implements strict ethnic quotas for neighborhoods, capping the presence of different communities.
2016: Scott Shatford moves to Denver after his legal issues with Santa Monica.
2016-2021: Ontario loses roughly 319 acres of farmland every day.
2018: Japan has roughly 8.5 million vacant "ghost houses."
2019: New Story, ICON, and ¡Échale a tu casa! use 3-D printing technology to build homes in Nacajuca, Mexico.
2019: A report for Portland's Bureau of Planning and Sustainability concludes that white households in single-family neighborhoods have accumulated wealth through rising home values, contributing to racial disparities.
2020: A magnitude-7.4 earthquake shakes southern Mexico, including Nacajuca.
February 2020: Montreal residents express concerns about Airbnb rentals causing a "frat house atmosphere."
January 2021: Vancouver's Strathcona Park sees a large homeless camp.
2021: Berlin voters, in a non-binding referendum, vote over 57% in favor of expropriating rental buildings from property companies owning 3,000 or more suites. Mayor Franziska Giffey campaigns against this.
March 2022: Victoria's homeless count estimates 1,500 people are unhoused.
2022: Hamburg, Germany, houses migrants using modular construction.
March 2022: The Nova Scotia government extends the cap on rent increases to the end of 2025, raising it to 5%.
December 2022: Mathilde Riaud reports on innovative solutions for housing shortages in Île-de-France in Les Echos.
November 2022: Singapore lifts the ban on sex between men but blocks the path toward marriage equality.
January 2023: The city of Victoria passes the Missing Middle Housing Initiative, allowing the construction of six-unit homes on most city lots and townhomes of up to twelve units on some corner lots.
January 2023: Liz and Ben receive the keys to their new HDB BTO flat in Bidadari, Singapore.
February 2023: Tenants like Jean-François and his neighbor in Montreal receive eviction notices as landlords plan to convert units to short-term rentals.
March 2023: Catherine Brennan of Clúid discusses the need for continued modular home construction in Ireland.
March 2023: Nicola Seguin reports for CBC News on Nova Scotians wanting to know if the rent cap will stay.
March 2023: Michael Gorman reports for CBC News on the Nova Scotia government extending and raising the rent increase cap.
April 2023: The City of Montreal website lists areas where operating a tourist home is authorized.
2023: The cities of Toronto and Victoria make significant changes essentially ending single-family zoning, and the British Columbia government imposes similar measures on most larger municipalities.
October 2023: Ontario Premier Doug Ford eventually reverses his government’s decision to remove land from the Greenbelt, calling it a mistake. Paul Calandra introduces legislation to return the land. The RCMP reveals it has launched an investigation.
2025: The city of Helsinki's target year to end homelessness.
2027: The Finnish national government's goal to end homelessness.
2030: The target year for all local governments in the Île-de-France region to have affordable social housing compose at least 30 percent of their total housing stock.
2031: The year by which Ontario's Housing Affordability Task Force concluded the province would need 1.5 million more homes.
Cast Of Characters
Gregor Craigie: The author of the book "Our Crumbling Foundation," a writer and journalist who has worked for various news organizations. He is the host of "On The Island" on CBC Radio One in Victoria, BC.
David Eby: Formerly the housing minister in British Columbia, he believed the main fix for the housing crisis was to build more housing quickly and focused on municipal zoning regulations as a major impediment.
Tom Davidoff: An associate professor who compares the province's housing strategy to a struggling tennis player, stating it was an "unforced error" to delegate full control of land use to municipalities.
Fri McWilliams: A Tokyo resident who previously lived in Vancouver. She highlights the relative affordability and choice in the Tokyo rental market compared to Vancouver, having bought an apartment with a low-interest mortgage and now renting it out for profit.
Susan Chen: A Tokyo resident and artist/executive coach who finds her rent in a Tokyo suburb very inexpensive compared to what she would pay in Vancouver.
Robin Harding: A journalist for the Financial Times who commented on the functional but aesthetically displeasing nature of some of Tokyo's newer apartment buildings.
Doug Ford: Premier of Ontario who eventually reversed his government's decision to remove land from the Greenbelt, calling it a mistake and apologizing.
Paul Calandra: The new housing minister in Ontario after Steve Clark. He introduced legislation to return the removed land to the Greenbelt and require future changes through legislation.
Phil Pothen: With the advocacy group Environmental Defence, he insisted that building on Greenbelt land would not reduce the housing shortage or home prices.
Gil Peñalosa: An urban planner and former Toronto mayoral candidate who believes there is enough urban land to house more people without touching the Greenbelt and advocates for a "renovation revolution" to end single-family exclusionary zoning.
Santitas: A resident of a housing co-operative in Berlin who values the affordability and sense of community in her building.
Franziska Giffey: Mayor of Berlin and a member of the Social Democratic Party. She campaigned against the expropriation of rental buildings from large property companies, despite a referendum vote in favor, and has faced criticism for the slow pace of new housing construction in Berlin.
Pasi Hietanen: A former homeless man in Helsinki who struggled with addiction. He is a success story of Finland's Housing First program, having found stability and support in an apartment in Ruusulankatu 10.
Juha Kahila: Head of international affairs at the Y-Foundation, a non-profit housing provider in Finland. He highlights the feasibility of ending homelessness through consistent construction of social and affordable housing.
Jean-François Raymond: A tenant in Montreal who, along with his elderly neighbor, received an eviction notice as their landlord planned to convert apartments into short-term tourist rentals. He took his landlord to the administrative housing tribunal.
Pierre Lessard-Blais: Mayor of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve in Montreal. He lamented that provincial laws restricted municipal bans on short-term rental conversions in residential areas.
Rebecca Bain: A musician in her fifties who has lived in the St-Henri neighborhood of Montreal for over twenty years and has witnessed its rapid gentrification and the displacement of long-term residents.
Scott Shatford: A former corporate employee who became a successful "rentalpreneur" in Santa Monica by renting out multiple apartments on Airbnb. He was the first Airbnb host convicted under Santa Monica's tough home-sharing laws and eventually moved to Denver to focus on his vacation rental analytics company, AirDNA.
Yibin Shen: Deputy city attorney for Santa Monica who emphasized that the city takes the enforcement of its rental prohibition laws seriously.
Kevin McKeown: Former Santa Monica mayor who commented on the city's approach to short-term rentals.
Karyne Cloutier: A single mother in Quebec who struggled to find affordable housing that would accept her four children, highlighting the discrimination faced by families in the rental market.
Lee Kuan Yew: The first Prime Minister of Singapore. He made housing a primary focus, establishing the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and implementing policies to create a home-owning society and address overcrowding.
Liz and Ben: A young couple in Singapore who purchased a HDB BTO flat in the desirable Bidadari neighborhood, highlighting the government's housing scheme and the financial potential of renting out spare rooms.
Jove Nazatul: A queer, trans, non-binary person of color who grew up in Singapore but now lives in Victoria, BC. They offer a critical perspective on Singapore's housing policies, acknowledging their effectiveness in building supply and public transportation while also highlighting inequalities based on gender identity and sexuality.
Nicola Montgomery: A resident of Toronto who describes the experience of friends leaving the city due to unaffordable housing as isolating and mentally taxing, hindering her ability to settle down.
Luke Mari: A developer and urban planner in Victoria, BC, who works for Aryze Developments. He is frustrated by the slow pace and challenges of building new housing in Victoria due to municipal zoning regulations and increasing costs, and advocates for denser development and alternative funding models.
Leo Spalteholz: An independent housing analyst and professional engineer in Victoria, BC. He conducted extensive research into the real estate market and obtained a real estate license to access data, and is sympathetic to the frustrations of developers like Luke Mari.
Eric: Part of Oregon Homeworks, a company that builds cottage clusters in Portland, highlighting the design and legal aspects of this type of housing.
Francesco: The founder of ¡Échale a tu casa! in Mexico. He was inspired to provide communities with the tools to make concrete blocks and build better lives, leading to the development of Ecoblocks and the use of 3-D printing for affordable housing.
The Hernández family: A family in Nacajuca, Mexico, who received one of the 3-D printed homes built by New Story, ICON, and ¡Échale a tu casa!, highlighting the positive impact of this technology on their lives.
Jason Ballard: CEO of ICON, a company involved in 3-D printing homes, who believes the built environment needs to embrace technological advancements.
The Squamish Nation: Indigenous people whose ancestral village of Sen̓áḵw was located on valuable land in what is now Vancouver. They are reimagining the site as a modern, densely populated district with a mix of housing, including affordable homes for Nation members, and are exempt from City of Vancouver zoning regulations.
Khelsilem: A member of the Squamish Nation Council who highlights the Nation's ability to approve large housing projects relatively quickly due to less bureaucratic hurdles and strong social capital within the community.
MST Development Corporation: A partnership between the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations involved in developing land, including the Jericho Lands in Vancouver.
Andrea and Matthew Durling: A family in Annapolis Valley, Nova Scotia, who were on the verge of homelessness and found temporary shelter in a vacant RV at the Dunromin campground.
Terri Smith-Fraser: A woman in Nova Scotia who, facing a lack of affordable housing in Halifax, bought a cargo van to live in after deciding against moving in with her daughters or finding a roommate.
Nicola Seguin: A reporter for CBC News who reported on the desire for rent control in Nova Scotia.
Michael Gorman: A reporter for CBC News who reported on the Nova Scotia government extending and raising the rent increase cap.
Nadiia: A Ukrainian refugee housed in a modular home in Ireland, expressing her relief and feeling of being home.
Elsie Kalu: An immigrant in Ontario facing eviction due to her landlord's renoviction plans.
Varun Sriskanda: A tenant in Ontario who faced a rent increase after his landlord sold the property and the new owner claimed the previous landlord wasn't complying with rent control laws.
Bill Weaver: A tenant in Ottawa facing eviction due to renovictions.
James Grzesik: The owner of Smart Living Properties, a company that renovicted tenants in Ottawa.
Catherine Cortinovis: A Paris resident who found affordable housing through a non-profit organization after living in unsatisfactory conditions.
Zina Hadjab: A young mother in Paris who found affordable housing through a non-profit after struggling with high rental costs.
Fouleimata: A young mother in Paris who found affordable housing through a non-profit after living in inadequate housing.
Jean-Baptiste Marie: The architect involved in transforming the Bois-le-Prêtre tower in Paris into modern social housing.
Anne Lacaton and Jean-Philippe Vassal: Architects who won the Pritzker Architecture Prize for their work, including the transformation of the Bois-le-Prêtre tower.
Pierre Lessard-Blais: Mayor of Mercier–Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, who is frustrated by provincial laws limiting municipal control over short-term rentals.
Raymond Jean-François: A tenant fighting eviction due to short-term rental conversion.
Stéphanie Lacoste: A single mother in Quebec who faces housing challenges due to a fixed income.
Laurent Levesque: A student and renter in Montreal who struggles with affordability and limited choices.
Diane Longpré: A single mother in Quebec who became homeless after fleeing domestic violence and highlights the difficulties of finding affordable housing.
Mario Mercier: A homeless man in Quebec who shares his experiences of living in shelters.
Deborah Buchanan-Walford: A nurse in Ontario who couldn't find affordable housing near her workplace and considered leaving the province.
Kim Le: A nurse who struggles with high housing costs in Ontario.
Michelle Buckley: An individual housed in a modular home in Ireland.
Catherine Brennan: With Clúid, discussing modular housing in Ireland.
Paul Kavanagh: Involved in housing migrants in Ireland.
Nataliia Shen: A Ukrainian refugee housed in modular housing in Calgary.
Ann Kucheriava: A Ukrainian refugee housed in modular housing in Calgary.
Yulia Gorbach: A Ukrainian refugee housed in modular housing in Calgary.
Serhii and Anna Martyniuk: A Ukrainian refugee family housed in Calgary.
Sohail Shafaq: The owner of Calgary Quality Homes, involved in providing modular housing for Ukrainian refugees.
Veselko and Victor Dodig: A father and son who run Dodig Construction in Calgary, involved in modular housing projects.
Terri Smith-Fraser: A senior living in a van in Nova Scotia due to housing costs.
John Lohr: Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing in Nova Scotia.
Vrinda Katore: A student at Cape Breton University who struggled to find housing.
Rajesh Kumar Gollapudi: A student at Cape Breton University who struggled to find housing.
Siddharth Balachandar: A student at Cape Breton University who struggled to find housing.
David Dingwall: President of Cape Breton University, acknowledging the housing challenges for students.
Jeff Karabanow: A professor and expert on homelessness in Nova Scotia.
Andrea and Matthew Durling: A family living in an RV in Nova Scotia.
Shane: A homeless individual in the Annapolis Valley.
Jason Barlow: President of Alquist 3D, a company involved in 3-D printing homes.
Marcus and Shawn Shivers: A couple who received a 3-D printed home in Virginia through Alquist 3D and Habitat for Humanity.
Wayne Eyre: Chief of the Defence Staff for the Canadian Armed Forces, discussing the Canadian Forces Housing Differential.
Elan Weintraub: A mortgage broker discussing the challenges of getting mortgages with rising rates.
Gurpreet Sander: An individual in Brampton who bought a pre-construction home and faced financial difficulties.
Jeff Dakers: An individual who struggled to sell his home in Ontario due to market changes.
Poornima Malisetty: An individual in Brampton who bought a pre-construction home and faced financial difficulties.
Syed Mubarak: An individual who struggled with rising mortgage rates in Ontario.
Kartik Soni: An individual who struggled with rising mortgage rates in Ontario.
Anita Gupta: An individual who struggled with rising mortgage rates in Ontario.
Rebecca Cossar: An individual who struggled with rising mortgage rates in Ontario.
Michelle Staples: Mayor of Duncan, BC, discussing the city's efforts to address homelessness and provide housing.
Erin Hobson: A former resident of a homeless camp in Duncan, BC, who found housing through local initiatives.
Carolyn Lawson: With BC Housing, discussing supportive housing projects in Duncan, BC.
Stacy Middlemiss: Working in Duncan, BC, and involved in addressing homelessness.
Keith Simmonds: Pastor at Duncan United Church, involved in providing shelter and support for the homeless.
Gina Dias: Working in Duncan, BC, and involved in addressing homelessness.
Michael Andersen: A resident of Portland, Oregon, who is concerned about the impact of development on his neighborhood.
Bernard Wolf: A Holocaust survivor who experienced housing discrimination in Portland.
Deborah Buchanan-Walford: A nurse facing housing challenges in Ontario.
Christine McLaren: A single mother struggling to find affordable housing in the UK.
Patty Rowe: Working on repurposing buildings for housing in Paris.
David Wachsmuth: A researcher on short-term rentals and their impact on housing.
Carlo Wahrmann: A resident of a co-operative housing project in Berlin.
Andreas Mense: A resident of a co-operative housing project in Germany.
Michael Voigtländer: An expert on the German housing market.
Mike Moffatt: An expert on the Canadian housing market.
Mathilde Riaud: A reporter on housing in Paris.
Liz Rowlinson: A reporter on the Paris housing market.
Juha Kaakinen: Former CEO of the Y-Foundation in Finland.
Tahiat Mahboob: A reporter on homelessness in Finland for CBC Radio.
Jon Henley: A reporter on homelessness in Finland for The Guardian.
Christopher Curtis: A reporter on Airbnb rentals in Montreal for the Montreal Gazette.
Sam Sanders: A reporter on Santa Monica's Airbnb crackdown for NPR.
Haris Khan: An author writing on housing in Singapore.
Agence France-Presse: Reporting on LGBTQ+ rights in Singapore.
Pádraig Hurley: Reporting on housing in Ireland.
Marion MacGregor: Reporting on housing for migrants in Hamburg.
Jenna McKnight: Reporting on modular high-rises.
Nicola Seguin: Reporting on rent control in Nova Scotia for CBC News.
Michael Gorman: Reporting on rent control in Nova Scotia for CBC News.
Karina Andrew Herrera: Reporting on 3D printed houses in Mexico.
Craig Buchanan and Leroy Gardner: Authors of a paper on metal 3D printing in construction.
Media Release from Holcim: Announcing 3D printing technology in Africa for affordable housing.
Andy Yan: An urban planner and housing expert in Vancouver.
André Sorensen: Professor of Geography and Planning at the University of Toronto, commenting on Tokyo's zoning.
Jonathan Wakrat: Commenting on Tokyo's housing market.
Takanori Tani: Reporting on vacant houses in Japan for Nikkei Asia.
Prime Minister of Japan and His Cabinet: Issuing a statement on urban renaissance policies.
Toronto Regional Real Estate Board: Providing market data.
Mathilde Riaud: Reporting on housing in Paris.
Liz Rowlinson: Reporting on housing in Paris.
Juha Kahila: Interviewee on housing in Finland.
Jenny Mäkinen: Reporting on Pasi Hietanen's story for MTV Uutiset.
Scott Shatford: Author of "The Airbnb Expert's Playbook."
Your Own Economy: Providing a YouTube video on receiving HDB flat keys.
Housing and Development Board: Providing information on types of flats in Singapore.
Haris Khan: Author on housing in Singapore.
Agence France-Presse: Reporting on Singapore.
Pádraig Hurley: Reporting on housing in Ireland.
Marion MacGregor: Reporting on housing in Hamburg.
Jenna McKnight: Reporting on modular high-rises.
Nicola Seguin: Reporting on housing in Nova Scotia.
Nova Scotia government: Issuing a press release on rent control.
Michael Gorman: Reporting on housing in Nova Scotia.
World Housing: Providing information on the 3D home community in Mexico.
Karina Andrew Herrera: Reporting on 3D printed houses in Mexico.
Craig Buchanan & Leroy Gardner: Authors of a paper on 3D printing.
Holcim: Company involved in 3D printing construction.
New Story + ICON + Échale: Providing a YouTube video on 3D printed housing.
Jason Ballard: CEO of ICON.
FAQ
What is the central issue addressed in the book "Our Crumbling Foundation"?
The book focuses on the widespread issue of unaffordable housing and its significant impact on millions of Canadians and the country as a whole. It explores various facets of the housing crisis, including the struggle for home ownership, rising rental costs, and the challenges faced by those with less traditional living arrangements. The author highlights how current housing market conditions, particularly in cities like Vancouver and Toronto, have made it increasingly difficult for even middle-class individuals and young generations to afford housing, a stark contrast to opportunities available in previous decades. The book also dedicates itself to those whose lives are on hold due to this struggle.
How does the book define "housing"?
The book uses a broad definition of "housing" that encompasses various living situations. This includes traditional forms like home ownership and rentals, as well as shared living arrangements with roommates. The definition is also extended to less traditional arrangements, such as living in an RV, acknowledging that while not always a choice, it is a form of shelter people are utilizing. This inclusive definition reflects the diverse and sometimes unconventional ways people are securing shelter in the face of housing challenges.
What are some of the key factors identified as contributing to housing unaffordability in Canada?
Several factors are highlighted as contributing to the housing crisis in Canada. Municipal zoning regulations are seen as a major impediment to new construction, making it difficult or impossible to build more housing quickly. The delegation of full control of land use to municipalities by provincial governments is considered an "unforced error" that has exacerbated the problem. The book also mentions the impact of short-term rentals (like those facilitated by Airbnb) on reducing the supply of long-term rental housing, driving up rents and leading to evictions. Furthermore, the book touches on the role of limited supply failing to keep pace with population growth and other factors like foreign ownership and speculation.
How does the book contrast the housing situation in Canadian cities like Vancouver and Toronto with cities in other countries like Tokyo and Singapore?
The book presents Tokyo and Singapore as case studies with significantly different housing markets compared to many Canadian cities. In Tokyo, despite being a major global city, the book highlights the relative affordability of both renting and buying, with stable rents over many years and accessible mortgage rates. This is attributed partly to the central government taking control of zoning away from local governments, allowing for more consistent and rapid building that meets national standards. Singapore's "Housing Miracle" is characterized by strong government controls, including ownership rules that discourage speculation, a high proportion of public housing (HDB flats), and policies that prioritize housing as a place to live rather than solely an investment. While acknowledging some social controls and inequalities in Singapore's system, the book contrasts this with the high levels of homelessness and unaffordability seen in Canadian cities.
What solutions or approaches to addressing housing issues are explored in the book from different parts of the world?
The book explores a variety of approaches beyond traditional market solutions. It details Finland's "Housing First" strategy, which focuses on providing immediate, unconditional housing and support services to individuals experiencing homelessness, with the goal of ending homelessness entirely. The book also examines housing co-operatives in Germany as a model offering community and some financial stability. The French approach to increasing social housing through tax incentives, waived property taxes, and low-interest loans, alongside mandatory quotas for local governments, is also discussed. The book also touches on innovative construction methods like modular housing used in places like Ireland and Germany for refugees, and 3D-printed homes being explored in Mexico for low-income communities.
What role do zoning regulations and land use policies play in the housing crisis, according to the sources?
Zoning regulations and land use policies are depicted as fundamental obstacles to increasing housing supply, particularly in Canadian cities. Single-family zoning, which restricts density, is highlighted as dominating the housing supply in many areas and hindering the construction of more varied housing types like townhouses and multi-unit buildings. The book notes that municipal control over zoning has often led to lengthy approval processes and stalled developments. The sources suggest that modernizing zoning rules, such as implementing "as-of-right zoning" (allowing construction that meets pre-defined standards without lengthy consultations) and ending single-family exclusionary zoning, are crucial steps in creating more housing on existing land.
How are short-term rentals, such as those facilitated by Airbnb, impacting the housing market?
The rise of short-term rentals is presented as a significant challenge to housing affordability, particularly in popular tourist destinations. The book uses the example of Santa Monica, California, where individuals like Scott Shatford were able to convert multiple long-term rental units into lucrative de facto hotels through short-term rental platforms. This practice is shown to reduce the supply of long-term rental housing, putting upward pressure on rents and contributing to the displacement of long-term residents. The book highlights regulatory efforts by cities to curb this practice and return units to the long-term rental market.
What are some of the potential unconventional approaches or future possibilities discussed for creating more housing?
Beyond traditional construction and regulatory reforms, the book touches on some less conventional approaches and future possibilities. This includes repurposing existing buildings like department stores, old barracks, and vacant office buildings for residential use, as seen in Paris. The potential of utilizing underutilized land, such as golf courses, for dense housing developments is also raised. The book explores the use of modular housing and 3D printing technology as ways to build homes more quickly and potentially more affordably, especially for specific populations or in areas facing housing shortages. The concept of Indigenous Nations leading large housing projects on their own land, free from some municipal restrictions, is also presented as a promising avenue for increasing supply.
Table of Contents with Timestamps
Contents
00:00 - Introduction - Opening of the podcast Heliox, introducing the theme of evidence meeting empathy and setting up the format.
00:24 - The Housing Crisis in Canada - Overview of the severity of the housing crisis in Canada, discussing price increases and housing shortages.
01:40 - Historical Context: Vancouver's "Hobo Capital" - Looking back at Vancouver during the Great Depression and drawing parallels to today's housing challenges.
02:46 - The Tokyo Contrast - Examining Tokyo's remarkably stable rent prices despite being a major metropolis, and comparing housing approaches with Canada.
04:24 - Interest Rate Impacts - Case study of how rapid interest rate increases affected homebuyers, particularly in pre-construction scenarios.
06:26 - Zoning and Supply Issues - Discussion of Ontario's zoning challenges and recent reforms to increase housing density in Toronto and Victoria.
07:39 - Paris: Creative Housing Solutions - Exploring Paris's innovative approaches including social housing investment, strategic infill development, and accountability measures.
09:34 - The Renter's Perspective - Examining the unique vulnerabilities and challenges facing renters in Canada, including rent control exemptions.
11:35 - Impact on Vulnerable Groups - How the housing crisis disproportionately affects certain groups including military personnel and those facing eviction.
12:45 - Berlin and Co-op Housing - Investigation of Berlin's established co-operative housing model as an alternative approach.
13:49 - Homelessness and RV Living - Discussion of increasing visible homelessness in smaller communities like Duncan, BC.
14:46 - Finland's Housing First Approach - Analysis of Finland's successful national policy to address homelessness by providing unconditional housing.
15:54 - Short-Term Rentals - Examining how platforms like Airbnb affect the long-term rental market, particularly in Montreal.
17:03 - Discrimination in Housing - Addressing discrimination issues in housing, including historical racial zoning and current challenges for families.
18:01 - Newcomers and Students - How the housing crisis impacts refugees, immigrants, and students.
19:06 - Innovative Global Solutions - Review of innovative approaches from various countries including Singapore's public housing system and modular construction.
20:42 - Policy Shifts in Canada - Current and upcoming policy changes in Canada addressing the housing crisis.
22:00 - Conclusion - Summary of the complex nature of the housing crisis and invitation for listeners to consider which single change might make the biggest difference.
23:05 - Closing - Final thoughts on the philosophical frameworks underlying the podcast and information about related content.
Index with Timestamps
Addiction, 14:54, 15:19
Affordability, 01:43, 02:52, 06:29, 09:00, 10:54, 14:17, 18:48, 20:09, 21:25
Afghan refugees, 18:20, 18:25
Airbnb, 15:56
As-of-right zoning, 06:47, 07:04
Bank of Canada, 04:50
Berlin, 12:50, 13:28, 13:40
Calgary, 18:08, 18:16, 18:33, 21:08
Canada, 00:30, 03:26, 04:20, 09:34, 15:50, 18:01, 20:44, 21:38, 22:36
Co-op housing, 12:50, 13:01, 13:47
Craigie, Gregor, 01:14
Deep Dive, 00:24, 01:28, 21:49
Density, 07:35, 20:25, 21:30
Discrimination, 17:07, 17:25, 17:29, 17:47, 22:22
Duncan, BC, 13:52
Eviction, 12:03, 16:01, 16:23
Finland, 14:46, 15:00, 22:02
Great Depression, 01:43, 01:55
Helsinki, 14:46
Homelessness, 13:52, 14:03, 14:17, 14:35, 14:46, 15:02, 15:45, 17:25
Housing First, 14:46, 14:49, 15:19, 22:44
Indigenous-led projects, 20:14, 20:17
Interest rates, 04:24, 04:50, 05:57
Japan, 02:46, 03:24, 03:32
Mental health, 14:26
Modular housing, 19:47, 19:51, 19:57
Montreal, 16:00, 16:11, 16:34, 17:09
Ontario, 06:29, 06:39, 10:27, 10:54, 17:52, 21:08
Ottawa, 10:54, 11:03, 12:25
Paradise Developments, 05:43
Paris, 07:39, 07:47, 08:05, 08:17, 09:05, 22:02
Population growth, 03:24, 03:33, 03:39, 04:02, 04:20
Pre-construction, 04:35, 04:42, 05:23
Racial discrimination, 17:29, 17:30
Refugees, 18:04, 18:16, 18:20, 19:51
Rent control, 10:27, 10:35
Renters, 09:34, 09:40, 09:50, 10:04, 11:17, 16:11, 21:00, 21:03
REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), 16:14
Renovictions, 16:23, 16:27
Romainville, 08:50, 09:00
Short-term rentals, 01:11, 15:54, 16:01, 16:42, 20:48
Singapore, 19:09, 19:17
Single-family zoning, 01:07, 07:12
Social housing, 01:08, 08:15, 16:14, 22:22
Squamish Nation, 20:15, 20:17
Students, 11:24, 18:50, 18:53
Supply, 01:07, 03:42, 04:03, 04:07, 04:15, 04:26, 06:29, 11:31, 20:40, 21:38, 22:22
Tokyo, 02:46, 02:50, 02:54, 03:03, 04:02, 22:02
Toronto, 04:33, 04:44, 04:49, 07:12, 18:33, 21:13
Ukrainian evacuees, 18:08, 18:16, 19:51
Vancouver, 01:43, 01:55, 02:54, 03:03, 20:14, 20:17
Zoning, 01:07, 06:29, 06:41, 06:44, 07:12, 07:21, 07:28, 17:30, 22:22, 22:36
Poll
Post-Episode Fact Check
General Housing Market Claims
✓ ACCURATE: Home prices in Canada have roughly tripled while other costs have only risen about 43%.
✓ ACCURATE: Canada needs approximately 3.5 million more homes by the end of the decade, on top of 2.3 million already projected.
✓ ACCURATE: Canada's national vacancy rate was around 1.9% in 2022, the lowest since 2001.
Historical Context
✓ ACCURATE: Vancouver was called the "Hobo Capital" during the Great Depression with approximately 12,000 people arriving in 1931. ✓ ACCURATE: There were informal "hobo jungles" near what is now Strathcona Park.
International Comparisons
✓ ACCURATE: Tokyo's rent has remained relatively stable compared to Canadian cities.
✓ ACCURATE: Japan built approximately 850,000 new homes in 2021, while Canada built about 271,000.
✓ ACCURATE: Berlin's housing co-ops make up about 12% of rental stock, with some dating back to the 1800s.
✓ ACCURATE: Finland's "Housing First" approach has reduced single homelessness from around 20,000 in the mid-1980s to under 4,000 by 2021.
Personal Stories
✓ ACCURATE: Pornima Molossetti in Toronto faced increased mortgage payments of approximately $10,000 monthly after interest rate hikes.
✓ ACCURATE: The bank valued her finished house at $1.6 million, not the $1.9 million she agreed to pay.
✓ ACCURATE: Mehdi Amari in Richmond Hill had a mortgage payment increase of $1,200 monthly upon renewal.
Zoning and Policy
✓ ACCURATE: Ontario's housing affordability task force identified modernizing zoning rules, not land shortage, as the main issue.
✓ ACCURATE: Toronto and Victoria have moved to eliminate most single-family zoning.
✓ ACCURATE: The Paris region (Île-de-France) implemented construction quotas with financial penalties for municipalities that didn't meet them.
Discrimination
✓ ACCURATE: Racial zoning, unethical realtor practices, and racist covenants historically prevented racialized groups from buying homes in certain areas in both the US and Canada.
✓ ACCURATE: Examples of discriminatory housing practices occurred in West Vancouver and Grand Bend, Ontario.
Innovation
✓ ACCURATE: The Squamish Nation is developing approximately 6,000 homes on their ancestral land near downtown Vancouver.
✓ ACCURATE: Modular housing built in factories is being used in places like Ireland for Ukrainian refugees.
✓ ACCURATE: Cities like Edmonton and Toronto are eliminating mandatory minimum parking requirements for new developments.
Clarifications
⚠️ NEEDS CONTEXT: While the podcast mentions "Calgary saw record numbers of people moving from other provinces in 2022," this is accurate but worth noting that many Canadian cities experienced significant internal migration during this period.
⚠️ NEEDS CONTEXT: The podcast mentions real solidarity leases in Romainville (France) lowering purchase prices by about 30%, which is accurate for the specific example but results may vary in different contexts.
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