The Missing Middle Podcast

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, inclu...

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...

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 current...

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. It explores how price transparency affects the rental market and whether the government is doing enough. The rental market in Ontario is broken, b...

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 automatic tax filing, the groups that would benefit from it, the current status of its implementation in Canada, and the opposition it faces from tax accountants...

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 tax reasons. They also discuss the government's commitment to building 2 million homes and the challenges of labor shortages and pr...

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. They grade the bill and discuss its impact on housing supply and affordability. They also delve into the str...

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 housing starts and prices, as well as why this is similar to a policy Mike and Cara suggested in an article in the Hu...

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 corporations, and government housing. The conversation also touches on the role of conflict of interest rules for poli...

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 how it intersects with heritage planning and urban design in unexpected ways. They explore the difference between listed a...

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 province. Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Funded by the Neptis Foundatio...

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 temporary immigration, the need for a decrease in temporary residents, the reasons behind the delay in taking action and the imp...

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 likely to prioritize climate change compared to older Canadians. The conversation explores the factors influencing the...

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. This can result in inefficient land use, with valuable urban space being underutilized for parking purposes rather than for housing, com...

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 Housing: How Federal, Provincial and Municipal Governments can Ensure We Build 5.8 Million Homes that are Affordable, Low-Carbon and...

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 forecasting models and the Bank of Canada's transition to a new model. The chapters cover the purpose of e...

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 predicting and controlling inflation, as well as the potential impact of inflation on different sectors of the economy. The conv...

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 costs of building subways in Toronto and the impact of NIMBYism on transit development are also discussed. Reece emphasize...

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, they discuss how wages have lagged significantly behind housing prices and how the Canadian Central Bank’s decision to quickly raise interes...

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 & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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. In this wide ranging conversation, Cara Stern and Shaishta - better known by her twitter handle, Justice Queen   - discuss various top...

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 country as a whole. But is GDP per capita an economic triumph or a "garbage metric"?  In this 23-minute discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute https://institute.smar...

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 always been one of Canada's great strengths. Our temporary immigration programs have some unique problems that are really tough t...

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 bustling urban centers like Toronto and Vancouver, the role of condominiums as makeshift rental units reveals a housing landscape in flux, with implic...

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 students have been climbing in recent years. The existence of Public Private Partnerships (or PPPs) between public and priva...