B.C. SEES RECORD STRETCH OF PEOPLE MOVING OUT-OF-PROVINCE – AND MANY ARE HEADED TO ALBERTA
B.C. has recorded its largest period of interprovincial migration losses in 20 years, with more than 12,800 people moving elsewhere in Canada since July 2022, according to Statistics Canada. It’s the first time in a decade B.C. has seen 15 months in a row of more people moving out-of-province than it gains — and most are moving to Alberta in the exodus, StatsCan said Tuesday. From July to September 2023, B.C. lost net 4,634 people to other provinces, its second-greatest quarterly dip...
read moreHAMILTON TO STRENGTHEN TENANT PROTECTIONS BY ADOPTING BYLAW PREVENTING ‘DEMOVICTIONS’
The Ontario city that introduced a first-of-its-kind renoviction bylaw in the province is about to expand the protection and prevent landlords from evicting tenants so they can demolish apartments and turn the properties into condominiums. Hamilton, Ont., is a step away from implementing a Rental Housing Protection By-law that will seek to preserve its supply of existing affordable housing by adding more conditions for landlords and developers seeking to take down midsize apartment buildings...
read moreEVERY NEW HOME BUILT REQUIRES $100,000 IN INFRASTRUCTURE SPENDING: REPORT
As Canada aims to build homes faster, both the public and private sectors will need to boost spending on municipal infrastructure, a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute says. The report, funded by the Canada Infrastructure Bank, estimated the average cost of infrastructure needed to support housing likely exceeds $100,000 for each newly built home. That includes funding for resources such as public transit, roads, water lines, schools, fire halls or recreational facilities. The total...
read moreMONTREAL TO BEEF UP INSPECTIONS FOR RENTAL UNITS
With an aging stock of rental units, Montreal aims to beef up inspections of buildings, hoping to crack down on slumlords and prevent a general degradation of living conditions. The city announced on Thursday it would spend $3 million to inspect 8,000 buildings and 130,000 apartment units over five years. A further $1.5 million over three years will be given to community groups that help tenants advocate for their rights. It’s good news for tenants living in unsafe or unsanitary conditions,...
read moreCANADA SEES INVESTMENT FLIGHT AS ECONOMY SLOWS AND GOV TARGETS INVESTORS
Canada may be in the process of losing its reputation as an investment safe haven. Statistics Canada (Stat Can) released its balance of international payments for Q1 2024, reinforcing preliminary data showing investors are looking for opportunities abroad. It also revealed foreign investors are engaging in their first divestment from the country in 14 years, as the domestic economy heads towards underperforming the global average. Foreign Investors Pulled Billions Out of Canada’s Economy ...
read moreIN DESPERATE NEED OF MORE AFFORDABLE HOUSING MISSISSAUGA COUNCIL BACKS BOLD PLAN TO INCENTIVIZE DEVELOPERS
How can sky-high rents across Mississauga be lowered? Here is the dilemma: governments are not in the business of building rental units; and the companies that do are facing unprecedented cost barriers such as high interest and building material prices. Along with mounting demand these rapidly increasing costs continue to push rental rates far out of reach for most residents in the city. Mississauga City Council has developed a strategy to incentivize developers, helping lower their...
read moreONTARIO’S ECONOMY TO SEE WORST NON-RECESSION GROWTH SINCE EARLY 80S: FAO
Canada’s largest provincial economy is unlikely to be the driver of an economic boom any time soon. The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) of Ontario released its economic and budget outlook for 2024, and it was not very rosy. The non-partisan government agency, tasked with providing the public with independent analysis and forecasts of the economy, says the province has been significantly underperforming global growth. Ontario’s economy is forecast to expand at one of the slowest rates in...
read moreIMMIGRATION-FUELLED GROWTH HITS THE HOUSING CRISIS WALL IN CANADA, AROUND THE WORLD
Across much of the developed world, one of the most dependable drivers of economic growth is faltering. For decades, the rapid inflow of migrants helped countries including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom stave off the demographic drag from aging populations and falling birth rates. That’s now breaking down as a surge of arrivals since borders reopened after the pandemic runs headlong into a chronic shortage of homes to accommodate them. Canada and Australia have escaped recession...
read moreCANADIAN RENTERS NOT CONFIDENT TRUDEAU’S POLICY WILL EASE HOUSING CRISIS: POLL
Canadian renters are not confident in Trudeau’s housing policy outlined in the latest federal budget, a new poll says. A majority of respondents are aware of the Liberal government’s housing measures but most were either not confident in or unsure about its ability to ease housing woes, according to the survey, carried out by rentals.ca. “While there is a clear recognition of the government’s efforts, the prevailing skepticism and concern among renters highlight the challenges ahead,” the...
read moreCITY TARGETS TORONTO’S ‘BAD FAITH’ LANDLORDS WITH MORE INSPECTIONS
Toronto city council has approved a beefed up apartment inspection and enforcement program designed to improve safety and provide readily accessible online updates on building conditions across the city. Councillors approved the new standards for RentSafeTO at a meeting late last week. The program, which began in 2017, is a bylaw enforcement system designed to ensure owners and operators of over 3,600 apartment buildings are meeting maintenance standards. The new rules include targeted...
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