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Cost of housing in Canada

So I was discussing these issues with my some locals the other day in my Town. We currently have a booming local economy driven by Lumber and a Gold Mine that is now in full swing. A pressing issue is access to housing. Lots of people trying to move here.

Problem: There are zero houses available and it's almost impossible to build any due to a dearth of skilled tradesmen.

A developer was trying to build a new subdivision here but the quotes they were getting for new builds was $620.00 per sqft. This isn’t Vancouver, it's Northern Ontario. They have tried seeking assistance from various levels of Govt but the only funding available is for low-income social assistance housing. That isn't what's needed here. What's needed here is suitable housing for families and working professionals to be able to move here and have a high quality of life.
 
Yes; municipalities are creations of the province, and have no inherent constitutional powers, but that doesn’t preclude the federal government from helping them to pay for things they can legally do. We already see direct federal financial assistance to major municipal infrastructure projects. If the city of Ottawa wants federal money for another LRT extension, and the feds say “sure, but only if you approve a certain amount of high density housing within 800m of stations”, I don’t see that that wouldn’t be viable.
It seems at least one province doesn't like being cut out of the discussion.

 
That’s if we place the entire thing at their feet. We all know that local bureaucracy and NIMBYism plays a huge role in that calculation.

All of them?


I have already looked a few of these but all of these things seem like enablers to me that Feds can influence.

The public land lease, low cost loans for 2nd dwellings, the first time home buyer savings accounts etc. These seem like winners.

Something tells me a CPC government will be keeping a lot of these when or if they take office.
Yes, all of them. The Liberals have been in government for almost 9 years. They own the problem. All of it. They deficit spent on vanity projects. They ignored housing that was already a problem in 2015. They vastly increased immigration, with no thought to where people would live. They did nothing about trades training. They have habitually made it almost impossible for the extractive resource industry to attract new investment, which has killed both productivity and removed revenue streams.

They don’t get to blame this on Harper. There is no “to be fair”, when you have governed for nearly a decade.
 
I think we need to be careful about NIMBYism. And the use of that acronym. I think often it gets thrown around as an attack word at people who have real time concerns and aren't just rich folks who don't want their view messed up.

The situation in Sackville, Halifax is a good example of this. The NS Gov and/or municipal Gov has moved a homeless encampment on to a baseball field in a suburban community and it's caused no end of issues with drugs, theft and garbage for the neighborhood.
 
Yes, all of them. The Liberals have been in government for almost 9 years. They own the problem. All of it. They deficit spent on vanity projects. They ignored housing that was already a problem in 2015. They vastly increased immigration, with no thought to where people would live. They did nothing about trades training. They have habitually made it almost impossible for the extractive resource industry to attract new investment, which has killed both productivity and removed revenue streams.

They don’t get to blame this on Harper. There is no “to be fair”, when you have governed for nearly a decade.
Sorry, that isn’t what I was asking. I’m talking about the housing policy and initiatives. You stated that the fixes are all fever dreams and cosmetic. That was what I was referring to.
 
Yes, all of them. The Liberals have been in government for almost 9 years. They own the problem. All of it. They deficit spent on vanity projects. They ignored housing that was already a problem in 2015. They vastly increased immigration, with no thought to where people would live. They did nothing about trades training. They have habitually made it almost impossible for the extractive resource industry to attract new investment, which has killed both productivity and removed revenue streams.

They don’t get to blame this on Harper. There is no “to be fair”, when you have governed for nearly a decade.

To what extend do you extend part of the blame for housing to provincial governments? They own municipalities, zoning, infrastructure, development approvals, and skilled trades. Surely the provinces eat some of this?
 
I think we need to be careful about NIMBYism. And the use of that acronym. I think often it gets thrown around as an attack word at people who have real time concerns and aren't just rich folks who don't want their view messed up.

The situation in Sackville, Halifax is a good example of this. The NS Gov and/or municipal Gov has moved a homeless encampment on to a baseball field in a suburban community and it's caused no end of issues with drugs, theft and garbage for the neighborhood.
I think it’s an appropriate acronym used in the context of housing. Public safety or homeless shelters or cemeteries or public dumps etc are different form of NIMBYism.
 
Constitutional crisis? No it’s not, and you’re being dramatic.
Fair point, hyperbolic statement on my part. Cheerfully withdrawn. 

They’re not proposing to redistribute constitutional powers or to usurp the authorities of the provinces. They’re offering pretty considerable financial incentives to push housing growth, and as part of this are offering significant conditional assistance with municipal infrastructure. They want and intend to do that through funding provincial programs, but if a given province doesn’t want to establish such a program, they can offer infrastructure support directly to municipalities.
I am aware of the funding processes between all levels of government. I also am aware that there is a difference between cooperation and co-opting betwen different levels as well. Especially when a provinical jurisdiction is being dictated to by a federal one.

Say Calgary were to ask for federal funding to further expand its commuter rail system. Feds say “yup, but show us the plans to approve x amount of high density housing proximate to the new stations”. The city does so and also asks for help upgrading wastewater infrastructure in certain neighbourhoods targeted for growth and densification. The feds agree to do so.
That is fine and dandy. Good for Calgary. Do those plans fit in with Alberta's larger plan to sustain that infrastructure? Power generation? Health care needs of those high density buildings? Schools for the kids that will be living in those areas?

Provincial matters all and play directly into the planning for that municipal request. Mom vs Dad between the Provinces can fuck up the best of intentions.

You propose that the province of Alberta, not having established a provincial program to access and control the purse strings over this federal funding, is upset by this (very plausible).
Plausible? It has been a plank of the Alberta government since Trudeau the First. See NEP. See Equalization Payments. Alberta has been dictated to since 1905 and the prevailing attitudes outside of Calgary and Edmonton is that the arrangement is no longer beneficial.

You suggest the province could choose to collapse a municipal government for directly accessing federal funding to directly or indirectly expand housing. Could the province do this? Maybe. I take your word for it that they can.
Section 92, Para 8 of the British North America Act gives exclusive power to the Provinces to deal with municipal matters as they see fit.

This was reopened in the late 1970s when Trudeau the Elder started the Constitutional repatriation process and the FCM wanted to constitutionally enshrine this 3rd level of government. Papa Trudeau agreed, but everyone else involved including all 10 Premiers disagreed. The Constitution Act of 1982 maintained that the Provinces are the sovereign authority for the municipalities. The Quebec Referendum in 1995 also affirmed that should a province leave Confederation, the municipalities had no Constitutional rights to remain and could be collapsed into that province entirely.

This article explains it in depth.

Would that be constitutionally lawful? Again I take your word that yes it would be.
See above.

It would not be a constitutional crisis, but it would certainly be a bold political play and maybe a democratic crisis inasmuch as it stomps on the will of the city’s voters expressed in electing their council.
Municipalities have no legal charter. They have no constitutional protections. The Constitutional arguement is that the Provinces can create municipal governments to make their lives easier in governing, however, the democratic representation of citizens stopping at the Provincial level, while pissing people off, woukd be a legal power play.

I think a province scuppering a municipal government to punish them for taking direct federal funding to build infrastructure and to address something everyone agrees is a problem would be a hell of a move and would carry great political risk for that government. The only government stupid enough to do that would, I guess, be a government stupid enough to do that.

Out of curiosity did you actually read the plan yet or just reply to that one part of my comment?
I did, and I believe its a good plan; where it falls down is essentially cutting the line in working with ALL levels of government to factor provinical concerns as well. We are a federation, yes, but we do have a division of powers for a reason.

I wonder how quickly the Fed would howl to the moon if a province set up their own National Guard, or Coastal Defence Force to augment the needs of the province currently unmet by the CAF.
As long as people at all levels keep blaming Trudeau for the housing crisis, it will give him license to try and fix it.

People can’t have it both ways.
This I agree with, but like I have said above, cooperation between all levels, in their respective roles and responsibilities, is what is needed.
 
I wonder how quickly the Fed would howl to the moon if a province set up their own National Guard, or Coastal Defence Force to augment the needs of the province currently unmet by the CAF.
isn’t that what NS just did with its NS Guard? I get that it isn’t military but isn’t augmenting the needs of the province unmet by the CAF?
 
isn’t that what NS just did with its NS Guard? I get that it isn’t military but isn’t augmenting the needs of the province unmet by the CAF?
Are they an armed military force or just using a snappy name for an Emergency Management volunteer group (a Provincial mandate)?

Its the latter, and well within their constitutional arcs. The second they start taking on a militia tone, that's when the line is crossed. I commend NS for doing what EVERY provincial government should do for emergency preparedness; vice the status quo in BC which is to use the BatPhone to the MND.
 
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It seems at least one province doesn't like being cut out of the discussion.

Indeed. Is this not the same provincial government that just weeks ago was upset because they feel they aren’t being permitted to bring in more temporary foreign workers?

By all means push back against the feds acting unilaterally if you feel you must- but sit down at the table and present solutions to a problem your own wishes will exacerbate.
 
I think it’s an appropriate acronym used in the context of housing. Public safety or homeless shelters or cemeteries or public dumps etc are different form of NIMBYism.

That's your position, and that's cool. I just think it's a pejorative that's used to dismiss everyone has a concern about what their Govs are doing to the place they live. And some of the concerns are valid and based in safety and security.

To me true NIMBYism is the rich folk is the south end of Halifax complaining when a swing set is installed next to their house.
 
It seems at least one province doesn't like being cut out of the discussion.

So does that mean PM Poilievre will do battle with the gatekeeper Premier Smith?

Anticipation Popcorn GIF
 
So does that mean PM Poilievre will do battle with the gatekeeper Premier Smith?

Anticipation Popcorn GIF
I don't think PP would have the same kind of relationships with the provinces as PMJT, who view them as an obstacle to be crossed in his centralist plan for the "good" of Canada.

This "gatekeeper" bill is a result of Federal transgressions against Provincial autonomy. If a new PM respects said autonomy... well... you have your answer.
 
Yes; municipalities are creations of the province, and have no inherent constitutional powers, but that doesn’t preclude the federal government from helping them to pay for things they can legally do. We already see direct federal financial assistance to major municipal infrastructure projects. If the city of Ottawa wants federal money for another LRT extension, and the feds say “sure, but only if you approve a certain amount of high density housing within 800m of stations”, I don’t see that that wouldn’t be viable.
Your example was where not the Federal and Provincial governments were of like mind to support RMOC.

How does the scenario play out is a municipality has to consider doing something where it would potentially only receive Federal funding due to a Federal-Provincial impasse? 🤔

Edit to add:

A developer was trying to build a new subdivision here but the quotes they were getting for new builds was $620.00 per sqft. This isn’t Vancouver, it's Northern Ontario. They have tried seeking assistance from various levels of Govt but the only funding available is for low-income social assistance housing. That isn't what's needed here. What's needed here is suitable housing for families and working professionals to be able to move here and have a high quality of life.
Sorry, not enough vite density to get any live from government…at least not the feds
 
So I was discussing these issues with my some locals the other day in my Town. We currently have a booming local economy driven by Lumber and a Gold Mine that is now in full swing. A pressing issue is access to housing. Lots of people trying to move here.

Problem: There are zero houses available and it's almost impossible to build any due to a dearth of skilled tradesmen.

A developer was trying to build a new subdivision here but the quotes they were getting for new builds was $620.00 per sqft. This isn’t Vancouver, it's Northern Ontario. They have tried seeking assistance from various levels of Govt but the only funding available is for low-income social assistance housing. That isn't what's needed here. What's needed here is suitable housing for families and working professionals to be able to move here and have a high quality of life.

I missed this reply earlier, but would you see there being a viable case for more prefabricated/modular housing designs getting shipped up there? I noted increased emphasis on manufactured housing being part of the infrastructure announcement.
 

When housing four occupants in one bedroom, better to go with a pair of bunk beds.

Or. more simply, four on the floor.

 
Yes, all of them. The Liberals have been in government for almost 9 years. They own the problem. All of it. They deficit spent on vanity projects. They ignored housing that was already a problem in 2015. They vastly increased immigration, with no thought to where people would live. They did nothing about trades training. They have habitually made it almost impossible for the extractive resource industry to attract new investment, which has killed both productivity and removed revenue streams.

They don’t get to blame this on Harper. There is no “to be fair”, when you have governed for nearly a decade.
Housing was and isn’t the Liberals responsibility, thats provincial.

Trades training is also a provincial responsibility as it falls under education. There is some level of cooperation with the red seal program, but ultimately those powers are provincial ones. Specifically it is a failure of several decades of education that has brought it to this point.

The mass immigration however without having any sort of plan to effectively house immigrants is their fault. Considering we hit both 40 and 41 million last year and we were at 35.7 in 2015 says a lot. Basically doubled the immigration rate for the last 9 years.

The failure of various levels of government to effectively address any of these issues over the course of decades is a huge issue. They are all busy playing the blame game and making dust in the wind promises than actually doing anything to resolve them.
 
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