WEEK OF FEBRUARY 5 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
This week’s headlines are all about CMHC’s annual housing report which we cover, but we also go over the federal government’s temporary cap on international study visas. The good, the bad and the ugly for both.
read moreDON’T MEET ALL THE CRITERIA? TRY THE RENT BANK ANYWAY, SAYS HOUSING MINISTER
People who aren’t sure whether they’re eligible to receive a grant from New Brunswick’s rent bank should still apply, said Housing Minister Jill Green. The rent bank, first announced as a loan program last summer, launched in December — three weeks ahead of schedule. With $3 million in funding for two years, New Brunswickers can receive as much as $2,750 in grants from the rent bank to pay for utilities, rental arrears or security deposits on new apartments. People can only...
read moreRATE CUTS TO START IN JULY, FORMER BANK OF CANADA OFFICIAL SAYS
An ex-member of the Bank of Canada’s governing body says he believes the central bank will start cutting interest rates in about six months if inflation pressures ease as expected. Policymakers will wait until they see underlying price pressures cool, even if the economy has entered a period of excess supply, former Deputy Governor Paul Beaudry said. “I wouldn’t see the potential of rate cuts until probably the July decision,” Beaudry said in an interview with Avery Shenfeld, the chief...
read morePROTESTORS TAKE TO MONTREAL’S STREETS TO OPPOSE QUEBEC HOUSING BILL
Protesters gathered in the Montreal neighbourhood of La Petite-Patrie on Saturday afternoon to voice their opposition to Quebec’s Bill 31 and the province’s housing minister. If adopted, the housing bill would allow landlords to reject any request for a lease transfer — which some tenants see as a way of limiting rent increases — without specifying why, and then cancel the lease. “Tenants in Quebec are suffocating,” said Cédric Dussault, spokesperson for Regroupement...
read moreB.C. COURT UPHOLDS RULING QUASHING VANCOUVER RENT CONTROL BYLAW
A City of Vancouver bylaw that sought to control rents at single room occupancy buildings is facing another legal defeat. The BC Court of Appeal upheld a previous ruling that found the city didn’t have the jurisdiction to limit rents in the SROs. In the initial ruling, a Supreme Court judge found the city’s decision to adopt the bylaws was “unreasonable,” and it was subsequently quashed. The city appealed this initial decision, but the court found, once again, that provisions in the Vancouver...
read moreWEEK OF JANUARY 29 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
Headlines this week focused on the government student visa cap, which we’ll touch on in a future show – but what wasn’t prominent in the headlines but should have been are the city of Hamilton passing a new bylaw preventing so-called renovictions.
read moreSTALLED CONSTRUCTION AND SUPPLY SHORTAGES FUEL RECORD-HIGH RENT PRICES ACROSS CANADA
liv.rent’s recently released 2024 Rental Market Trend Report unveils surprising trends that renters and landlords should be aware of. This report delves into crucial rental data from 2023, covering rent prices, construction trends, and migration patterns to provide a snapshot of the current Canadian rental market and the primary forces shaping its ongoing dynamics. Inside the 43-page report, you’ll find new data and exclusive insights drawn from liv.rent’s own rental market analysis and...
read moreTHE CASE AGAINST HIGH PROPERTY TAX RATES ON MULTI-RESIDENTIAL BUILDINGS IN ONTARIO
Should a renter only be able to use half the number of municipal roads as a homeowner? What about getting police or fire protection half the times they call? Of course not. These are critical municipal services open to all. But renters in many of Ontario’s oldest multi-residential rental buildings are paying twice as much for the same services as residents of single-family homes through the rent that building owners pass through to them. This discrepancy not only places an undue financial...
read moreBRAMPTON PAUSES LICENSING PILOT AFTER PUSHBACK FROM LANDLORDS
The City of Brampton has paused its recently implemented landlord licensing pilot program, which had come into effect earlier this month. The city said the “temporary” pause is due to concerns raised by those affected by the two-year program, which requires landlords in five electoral wards to register some types of rental properties with the city. “We heard you and we’re making enhancements. Applications required under the two-year pilot program are suspended as the city reviews and...
read moreCMHC LOOKS BACK AT THE CANADIAN HOUSING MARKET IN 2023 AND WHAT TO EXPECT IN 2024
In late December last year, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) published a retrospective of its housing reports throughout 2023, including what Canadians may be able to expect in 2024. This is a report that could be vital for newcomers to Canada, who are among the Canadian residents most affected by the national housing affordability crisis in this country. The CMHC identified several main themes in the many reports that the organization published throughout 2023. Among the...
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