Affordable Housing

A very insightful article from a research partnership based in the University of Toronto argues that joint federal and Ontario government tax breaks and development charge reductions are a gift to the kinds of investors who created much of our crisis of unaffordable housing. Through measures announced this spring, over $5 billion in private tax … Read more

Tenants gained nothing, while the richest Canadians made huge gains. Federal policies that promoted real estate investment—and in emergencies, drove down interest rates—had a huge impact on pushing up the cost of buying a home since 1999. A recently published study showed that: The value of real estate wealth escalated faster than other forms of wealth, … Read more

There’s an incredible range of housing costs across Hamilton, as a recent report to city council shows. Last year, the average selling price for a home, for instance, ranged from $516,400 in the downtown area to $1.2 million in Flamborough, more than double the downtown average. Even the lowest average isn’t affordable for most Hamiltonians. … Read more

Last month, Justice Michael Gibson issued a controversial ruling that not only underlined that people have a right to housing but said people experiencing homelessness can’t be discriminated against because of their homelessness. It’s a groundbreaking ruling about housing rights. To learn more about it, register in advance for a webinar discussion next Tuesday June … Read more

A study released Monday estimates that the benefits that flow from investments in government-owned housing are worth two to three times the initial investment. The study, by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, calculates not just economic spinoffs and jobs but also the social value created in terms of community well-being, stability, health improvements and … Read more