Housing Promises: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Missing - The Missing Middle Podcast | Lyssna här

With election day approaching across Ontario, are mayoral candidates offering real solutions to the housing crisis, or just slogans?

Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine housing platforms from candidates in nine Ontario cities to see which proposals could actually make homes more affordable for middle-class families, renters, and first-time homebuyers.

They break down the policies that could make a difference, the promises that need more scrutiny, and the municipal decisions that are shaping the future of housing in Ontario.

In this episode:

What's missing from candidates' housing plans? Why concrete targets, timelines, and realistic funding matter.
Mississauga's property tax proposal: Would allowing seniors to defer property taxes help homeowners, or create new costs for taxpayers?
Toronto's land transfer tax: Could cutting the tax help families move into homes that better suit their needs, and how would the city replace the lost revenue?
Windsor's fourplex debate: What happens when municipal leaders oppose policies that could allow more homes to be built?
Oshawa and Guelph's housing plans: Can faster approvals, lower development charges, and more flexible zoning improve affordability?
The case for family-sized homes: Why building more housing means more than hitting unit targets, and why young families need more options.
What good housing policy looks like: Mike shares the municipal reforms he would prioritize, from streamlining approvals to making starter homes cheaper to build.

The big question: Can good housing policy win elections, and are municipal politicians willing to make the changes needed to help the next generation afford a home?

Chapters:

00:00 - Introduction: Analyzing Ontario’s Municipal Housing Platforms

00:50 - What to Look For in a Middle-Class Housing Plan

02:23 - Initial Reactions & "Where’s the Beef?"

03:04 - Property Tax Deferrals for Seniors: Good or Bad Policy?

06:30 - Land Transfer Taxes: Removing Barriers to Moving

08:46 - Strong Mayor Powers & The Fourplex Veto Debate

10:34 - Development Charges & Streamlining Approvals in Oshawa

12:31 - Density on Arterials vs. Neighbourhood Infill

14:59 - The Student Housing Crisis in Southwestern Ontario

16:35 - Core Principles for a Real Municipal Housing Vision

18:50 - Key Policies: Form-Based Zoning, AI Approvals, & Tax Reform