New Housing Alternatives

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Graeme Hussey, President of Nesting Ground and Director of Affordable Housing at Windmill Developments. They explore how a sustainability‑focused private developer is partnering with non‑profits and co‑ops to deliver low‑carbon, mixed‑income housing, using the One Planet Living framework to make affordab...

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Melinda Zytaruk , CEO of Tooketree Passive Homes , a social enterprise that factory‑produces low‑carbon, high‑performance building panels. Together, they explore how offsite construction can deliver faster, more affordable, and climate‑resilient housing—while also creating safer, more stable local jobs....

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Dr. Ren Thomas speak with Dominique Russell, writer, activist, teacher, and co‑director of the Kensington Market Community Land Trust (KMCLT). Together, they explore how community land trusts (CLTs) use collective ownership, organizing, and mutual aid to fight displacement and preserve deeply affordable housing and commercial spa...

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Tim Ross , CEO of the Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada (CHF Canada) , about why co‑operative housing is one of Canada’s most promising – and underused – tools for tackling the housing crisis. Tim explains what housing co‑ops are, how they differ from other forms of non‑market housing, and why they o...

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives , hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with Dr. Nemoy Lewis about how race, transit investment, and financialized landlords intersect to drive evictions in Toronto’s rental housing market, and how emerging uses of AI risk making things worse. Drawing on years of research into evictions, multifamily acquisitions, and transit-oriented development, Dr....

In this episode of the New Housing Alternatives podcast, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas are joined by Ricardo Tranjan , senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and author of "The Tenant Class." Together, they explore the evolving landscape of tenant rights, the growing influence of corporate landlords, and the urgent need for tenant-focused research and organizing to c...

In this episode of New Housing Alternatives , hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with housing policy expert Steve Pomeroy about Canada’s rapid loss of affordable rental housing, often cited as 11 affordable units lost for every 1 built , with even higher ratios in cities like Ottawa and Waterloo . We cover: What it actually means to “lose” an affordable unit (demolition vs. rent inflation) H...

In this episode of the New Housing Alternatives podcast, hosts Cherise Berda and Ren Thomas are joined by Jill Atkey, CEO of the BC NonProfit Housing Association , to explore the critical role of nonprofit and cooperative housing in addressing Canada’s affordability crisis. Through a policy and advocacy lens, the conversation unpacks the history, challenges, and opportunities facing the sector, wi...

Dive into the complexities of affordable housing in Canada with this episode, which unpacks the terminology, challenges, and policy debates shaping the nation’s housing landscape. Through expert interviews and data-driven discussion, listeners will gain a foundational understanding of what “affordable housing” really means, why definitions matter, and how different models and government roles impa...