OVER 100,000 SHORT-TERM RENTALS COULD BE HOMES: STATSCAN REPORT
A new report by Statistics Canada shows the country’s total number of short-term rental listings increased by more than 60 per cent between 2017 and 2023, while the number of short-term rental units that could be used as long-term housing grew by more than 80 per cent. The report identified more than 100,000 short-term rentals that could be homes. But the fact that figure makes up less than one per cent of Canada’s total housing stock, according to the data, only adds more fuel to...
read moreWEEK OF JULY 29 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
This week we head out west to see how the BC – NDP government is imposing a Bill that is intended to help actually looks to be causing – not surprisingly – unintended consequences....
read moreBOSA PROPERTIES SAYS BURNABY POLICIES MAKE PURPOSE-BUILT RENTAL PROJECTS “UNBUILDABLE”
At a time when cities across Canada are in desperate need of more rental homes, well-intentioned policies in the City of Burnaby are making purpose-built rental projects unviable, says Bosa Properties, one of British Columbia’s largest developers. In a letter to Burnaby City Council dated July 2, Senior Director of Development Kyle Wright told Council that Bosa Properties had spent the past six months contemplating two 100% purpose-built rental projects — one in the Metrotown...
read moreLEGAL EXPERTS WARN TENANT RATING WEBSITES COULD UNFAIRLY LABEL RENTERS
Landlords posting tenant reviews on so-called blacklist websites is a trend some in the industry worry could add to the housing crisis. Websites like Tenantscore, Openroom and other similar blacklisting sites allow landlords and tenants to air their grievances, potentially preventing tenants from finding housing in the future. A legal expert said that even if tenants have had negative relationships with landlords in the past, it shouldn’t hinder their ability to find a place to call...
read moreMORE QUEBEC LANDLORDS REFUSING TENANTS WITH ANY RENTAL BOARD RECORD
Tenants’ rights advocates say landlords openly using records from Quebec’s housing tribunal against prospective renters is cause for concern. CBC News has reviewed dozens of postings specifically spelling out that having any record with the Tribunal administratif du logement (TAL) will influence your shot at getting the place. Some landlords are considering any interaction with the TAL as a potential red flag. The TAL enforces housing law and protects both tenants and...
read moreTRUDEAU PLEDGED TO SLOW IMMIGRATION. THE BANK OF CANADA HAS DOUBTS
There’s mounting uncertainty about when and by how much Justin Trudeau’s government will be able to reduce the number of temporary residents in Canada, muddying a key input for fiscal and monetary policymakers. The Bank of Canada raised its population growth forecasts Wednesday, saying the government will probably need more time to limit non-permanent resident inflows. It predicts the number of people over 15 in Canada will rise by 3.3% this year, up from about 3% previously. The pace — among...
read moreWEEK OF JULY 22 2024 NEWSREEL WITH VANESSA TOPPLE
This week we examine misconceptions concerning purpose built rental development. It’s a lot more than a supply and demand issue! Numerous factors aren’t being addressed to achieve the numbers required and even if they did, there is no guarantee affordability would be met....
read moreCALGARY MAYOR ANNOUNCES $60M HOUSING INITIATIVE
Groups interested in building affordable rental housing can now apply for a new program initiated by the City of Calgary. On Thursday, the city announced it is providing $60 million in funding over three years as part of the Housing Capital Initiative (HCI). From now until Oct. 10, the city is taking HCI applications from charities, non-profit organizations and Indigenous groups seeking help with the cost of building new properties or acquiring existing buildings. The city would fund up to 30...
read moreB.C. CITY WANTS HOUSING PLAN DISCLOSURE ORDER QUASHED
The City of Vancouver has asked B.C. Supreme Court to quash an information commissioner’s order that it disclose plans for new rental housing sought in a freedom of information request. The B.C. Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Office made the order June 14 in response to a request under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The city had withheld information in its response to the person requesting the information. It cited harm to financial or economic interests and...
read moreA DOWNTOWN APARTMENT FOR $1,200 A MONTH? HERE IS ONE GROUP’S PLAN ON HOW TORONTO CAN RETHINK ITS VACANT OFFICE SPACE
A Canadian think-tank has a plan to keep young people from fleeing urban centres in search of more affordable accommodations. As part of its Toboggan Flats project, Youthful Cities is working on a plan to convert vacant office spaces in Canada’s urban centres into residential co-living developments for young people struggling to pay rent in the country’s most expensive cities. “Downtowns are starting to hollow out because people aren’t coming back to work,” Robert Barnard, co-founder of...
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