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

Could Trudeau Crash the Housing Market?

15 days ago 20m 18s

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 an

Does Owning a House Secure Your Retirement?

22 days ago 23m 29s

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 I

Could More Supply Crash the Housing Market?

29 days ago 17m 35s

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 h

If Condo Sales are Down, Why Aren’t Prices?

May 15th, 2024 19m 55s

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 makin

Is Raising the Capital Gains Tax a Good Idea?

May 8th, 2024 34m 55s

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

Could a Renter's Bill of Rights Actually Help?

May 1st, 2024 12m 48s

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 renta

How Automatic Tax Filing Could Make Your Life Easier

Apr 24th, 2024 16m 21s

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 autom

Grading the Federal Budget: Housing Policy and Capital Gains Tax

Apr 19th, 2024 16m 29s

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 deductibil

Alex Beheshti: What Happened to Ontario's Housing Ambition?

Apr 17th, 2024 27m 50s

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

Why Trudeau is Bringing Back 30-Year Mortgages

Apr 12th, 2024 11m 44s

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 dec

Everyone Wants Rentals, but No One Wants Landlords

Apr 10th, 2024 19m 43s

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,

Alex Bozikovic: Heritage Rules and the Housing Crisis

Apr 3rd, 2024 27m 2s

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 h

Ford, Fourplexes and the Free Market

Mar 29th, 2024 13m 43s

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 legali

Marc Miller: How The Immigration Minister Plans To Cut Immigration

Mar 27th, 2024 34m 52s

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 annou

David Coletto: Why Millennials Broke Up with Trudeau

Mar 20th, 2024 30m 21s

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 exp

How Parking Minimums Hinder Home Construction

Mar 13th, 2024 13m 48s

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

How to Build 5.8 Million Homes by 2030

Mar 8th, 2024 29m 57s

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 Bluepri

How Central Banks Decide If Your Mortgage Goes Up

Mar 6th, 2024 22m

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

Inflation, Interest Rates, and the Role of the Bank of Canada

Mar 1st, 2024 18m 27s

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 dis

Reece Martin: Canadians Pay Way Too Much to Build Transit

Feb 28th, 2024 30m 17s

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 trans

How Does the Bank of Canada Affect Housing?

Feb 23rd, 2024 20m 4s

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-rang

How Should Economists Measure Happiness?

Feb 21st, 2024 3m 54s

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 Ste

Justice Queen: From Accidental Landlord to Housing Advocate

Feb 16th, 2024 38m 50s

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 in

Is GDP Per Capita is a "Garbage Metric"?

Feb 14th, 2024 22m 23s

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.