The Missing Middle Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

This week on The Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux bust some myths and take a hard look at Canada’s place in the global housing landscape. Drawing on new OECD data, they reveal why Canada’s housing affordability crisis is among the worst in the developed world—with home prices having risen more than twice as fast as incomes since 1999. They compare Canada’s record to other OECD countries (spoiler: it’s not flattering) and highlight where affordability has been successfully maintained (hint: not here). Sabrina offers a theory on why both Canada and Australia are failing so badly at keeping homes affordable, and together, she and Mike make the case for dropping the excuse that this is just a “global trend.”

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction 

01:30 Game:React to the Boomer Comment

02:40 Young people don’t want responsibility?

03:59 Global trend or Canadian crisis?

05:12 Missing Middle study on the global housing landscape

07:35 Home prices vs incomes

09:33 It’s worse in Canada, it’s us, we’re the problem

12:30 Which countries are better at affordability?

15:00  Possible reasons Canada and Australia are struggling with affordability?

Housing report card:

https://jhelmer.quarto.pub/rescon-state-of-the-sector-quarterly-reports/12-report-card-brantford.html

Derek Thompson Sunstack  - Chart 10

https://www.derekthompson.org/p/the-25-most-interesting-ideas-ive?utm_source=www.profgmarkets.com&utm_medium=newsletter&utm_campaign=nvidia-to-invest-5-billion-in-intel

Canada vs. the World: The Worst Record on Housing Affordability Since 2004

https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/canada-vs-the-world-the-worst-record

OECD Affordable Housing Database:

https://www.oecd.org/en/data/datasets/oecd-affordable-housing-database.html

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

The Canada Revenue Agency is facing a public crisis: long delays, wrong assessments, and frustrated taxpayers. Hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack the CRA’s 100-day “fix,” why it’s only a Band-Aid solution, and the deeper structural issues inside Canada’s tax system. From call-centre chaos to a tax code even accountants struggle to understand, this episode explores how CRA policies are eroding public trust and what real reform would look like.

Mike also shares his personal experience battling denied medical expense claims and the endless back-and-forth with CRA agents. Together, they discuss the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, the agency’s growing enforcement powers, and why ordinary Canadians are being left behind by a broken system.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 

00:42 CRA's challenges

02:35 An incredibly complicated tax code 

03:42 Understanding taxpayer complaints

04:50 Guilty until proven innocent

06:16 The numbers behind objecting to assessments

08:52 The taxpayer bill of rights

10:05 Personal experiences with CRA

13:42 BOOM!

Research/links:

There are much bigger problems with the CRA than just long hold times

This is the real problem with the Canada Revenue Agency

Taxpayer Bill of Rights

https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/corporate/about-canada-revenue-agency-cra/taxpayer-bill-rights.html

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

Why do some infill housing projects spark outrage while others fly under the radar? In this episode of The Missing Middle, host Sabrina Matto sits down with former London City Councillor and researcher Jesse Helmer to unpack 15 years of planning committee decisions. They explore why certain housing proposals face fierce opposition, what factors reduce pushback, and how cities can actually build more homes with community support. From surprising success stories to lessons learned in local politics, this conversation sheds light on the politics of infill housing—and why it matters for solving Canada’s housing crisis.

If you’re interested in urban planning, housing affordability, or how communities can embrace smarter growth, this episode is for you.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 

01:00 Infill development research with Jesse Helmer

02:40 Factors influencing opposition to housing proposals

05:30 Research methodology and analysis

08:23 Following up with residents after a project is built

11:15 Jesse’s personal journey as a London city councillor

14:08 Optimism for housing solutions

16:28  Personal reflections about Jesse’s time on London city council

Research:

https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/the-politics-of-infill-housing-what

Guest: Jesse Helmer:  https://x.com/jesse_helmer

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 impact of temporary residents on housing affordability. 

The discussion also covers the financial insecurity faced by universities and colleges due to the two-year cap on international student visas. 

The Minister addresses the increase in use of the temporary foreign workers program under his government and admits there is a problem with some fraud in the labor market impact assessment system. 

The conversation concludes with a discussion about the Canadian consensus on immigration and the Minister is asked if his government is responsible for breaking that consensus.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 these priorities, including the cost of living crisis, housing affordability, the impact of financial insecurity and the appeal of the Conservative Party to younger Canadians. The conversation highlights the challenges faced by political parties in attracting millennial voters and the relationship between political behaviour and life stage. The discussion concludes with an examination of the blame and responsibility for the housing crisis and the consequences of perceived institutional failure.

If you stick around to the end you’ll get to witness Mike and Cara’s first recorded disagreement and the personal story of how David ended up becoming a pollster. Spoiler alert: it involves baseball.

Links:

https://thehub.ca/2024-03-19/mike-moffatt-and-cara-stern-the-dream-of-homeownership-is-dying/

https://davidcoletto.substack.com/p/the-millennial-makeover-of-canadian

https://abacusdata.ca/

https://abacusdata.ca/building-a-better-future-for-canadians-policy-imperatives/

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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, commercial, or recreational activities.

Cara and Mike explore the origins of parking minimums and the concerns that led to their regulation. They also delve into the use of parking minimums as a negotiating tool for cities and the potential for scaling back these regulations. The conversation highlights the arguments for and against parking minimums, including their impact on housing affordability. They also discuss the role of the federal government in potentially banning parking minimums nationwide and the challenges associated with public perception and political dynamics.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 Resilient. 

In this conversation, Cara, Mike, and Cherise discuss the blueprint and they highlight the importance of a full systems approach to address climate, resiliency, and housing. They also discuss the need for density and the elimination of unit maximums on residential buildings. The conversation emphasizes the importance of data collection and the adoption of the highest tiers of the national model building codes. The guests express hope that the recommendations will be implemented by governments across the country.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 economic forecasting, the current method of capturing and measuring the Canadian economy, criticism of existing models, the importance of theory and data in economic modeling, the Bank of Canada's motivation for change and addressing model gaps, a comparison of the Canadian model with other countries, the influence of the Federal Reserve on Canadian monetary policy, accountability and decision-making in monetary policy, and the alignment of Canadian and US monetary policy.

Takeaways:
Economic forecasting models are essential for conducting monetary policy and determining the appropriate policy interest rate.
The Bank of Canada currently uses two models, one focused on empirical performance and the other on theoretical rigor.
There has been criticism of the existing models, particularly regarding their ability to accurately predict real-world economic behavior.
The Bank of Canada is transitioning to a new model that aims to blend theory and empirical performance.
The new model will address gaps in the previous models, such as the representation of the financial sector and the housing market.
The Bank of Canada's monetary policy is influenced by the Federal Reserve, and the two countries tend to move in the same direction.
The ultimate decision-making in monetary policy lies with the governing council, who consider a range of factors beyond the models.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/

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 conversation concludes with a discussion on the Bank of Canada's upcoming decision on interest rates and its influence on the markets.

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/