New Canadian Politics Thread

[Preston]

The other bit is that home owners aren't feeling enough pain to drive prices down. Most are straight up rich themselves and are not dropping their asks. Granted, no one is buying these days either. But without real pain and desperation, prices ain't gonna fall.

 

[lecoqsportif]

This mostly provincial jurisdiction. But it would be federal mollah to catalyze.

 

[MindzEye]

The thing about building new homes is: where?

This is where regional transit is so important. Land in cities is prohibitively expensive, land outside of them aren't. But if you can take a a commuter train with 15 minute frequency, and/or push "work from home" an easier choice for companies to make (many are still culturally resistent regardless of the data), then building planned, medium density neighbourhoods in bedroom communities with lower land costs becomes pretty fucking plausible.

 

[hockeylover]

Good news, we might get GO train service expanded from Oshawa to Union to... Bowmanville to Union in... 2032.

A whole fifteen minutes saved!

And you can pay almost a million bucks for a house out there.

 

[Wayward DP]

I hope i haven't just been brainwashed on this one but it sure does seem like building more homes is the single most important thing we can do in our society economically and socially.

not just homes - like all capital investments basically.

we need more homes (likely priority uno, sure)
we need more transit
we need more railways, LRT, etc.
we need more energy transport capacity (pipelines or whatever)

I'm hoping the trump moment makes nation building projects great again, so we can get some public buy in to start investing in the things we should have been doing decades ago...

 

[MindzEye]

The other bit is that home owners aren't feeling enough pain to drive prices down. Most are straight up rich themselves and are not dropping their asks. Granted, no one is buying these days either. But without real pain and desperation, prices ain't gonna fall.

There's a pretty stark divide in the housing market and I don't think a federal program has to worry about tackling the top end of the divide. If you want a large family home in Canada, you're going to be paying a 7 figure number for it and I don't think that's likely to change.

Our big gap is in two places imo. Small urban units, and what used to be called starter homes, but now really only exists as 800K townhouses built in empty fields adjacent to a highway. If the government stepped in with some sort of a rental crown corp that managed a massive portfolio of rent controlled urban apartments/townhomes and planned neighbhourhood single family prefab "starter homes" it would fill a massive market need.

 

[Wayward DP]

This is really just making walkable/bikeable neighbourhoods and not whatever the fuck this was supposed to be:

I mean, that's a fine lifestyle if you choose it, but don't fucking force it on us as the only way to live in more than 800sq ft.

death to suburbs

 

[MindzEye]

death to suburbs

This is the last one I'll ever live in man. So done with this.

There's people who this is for, and the more power to them. But it's a terrible model to build cities around.

 

[WellPlayed]

Ya if there is a single policy item at the top of my list that could make me a loyal voter…it would build shit, as quickly as possible, all the time.

The problem is our 4 year election cycle does not align with major infrastructure projects. It’s easier to score quick points with other types of spending. Building shit only scores you points when it’s already too late (see housing, subways, etc)

 

[Wayward DP]

This is the last one I'll ever live in man. So done with this.

There's people who this is for, and the more power to them. But it's a terrible model to build cities around.

I grew up in one, through high school. there's a reason I made sure we bought a bikeable distance from my office. really only use the car from M-F to chauffeur our dog to/from the park

 

[lecoqsportif]

death to suburbs

They are a necessary. Let’s have better ones.

 

[MindzEye]

Ya if there is a single policy item at the top of my list that could make me a loyal voter…it would build shit, as quickly as possible, all the time.

The problem is our 4 year election cycle does not align with major infrastructure projects. It’s easier to score quick points with other types of spending. Building shit only scores you points when it’s already too late (see housing, subways, etc)

This might be where the whole "not a career politician" thing comes up big. Carney has bigger ideas than most politicians are willing to have and probably isn't too worried about the 2030 election.

 

[zeke]

not just homes - like all capital investments basically.

we need more homes (likely priority uno, sure)
we need more transit
we need more railways, LRT, etc.
we need more energy transport capacity (pipelines or whatever)

I'm hoping the trump moment makes nation building projects great again, so we can get some public buy in to start investing in the things we should have been doing decades ago...

I mean sure that's all nice but it's always debatable as to how much infrastructure spending we do.

What i'm talking about is the unique importance of mass increase in housing, which i'm seeing more and more as a singly important factor.

 

[lecoqsportif]

I mean sure that's all nice but it's always debatable as to how much infrastructure spending we do.

What i'm talking about is the unique importance of mass increase in housing, which i'm seeing more and more as a singly important factor.

It is, I think. The other stuff should follow.

 

[Wayward DP]

They are a necessary. Let’s have better ones.

fine, death to our current take on suburbs. i.e. endless urban sprawl. no walkable neighbourhoods. box store strip malls. etc.

 

[Wayward DP]

not a great look for Carney here:


View: https://x.com/MichaelChongMP/status/1906757054422790639

 

[Preston]

I have an idea that no one will like. Increase property taxes across the board. You want to be more investor repellant? There's your ticket. The taxes are unfathomably cheap here at the moment.

Dyor. I don't actually know if this will work. But anything that increases carrying costs will typically be less desirable for the ultra wealthy that are buying up many of the top properties.

 

[trujaysfan]

I have an idea that no one will like. Increase property taxes across the board. You want to be more investor repellant? There's your ticket. The taxes are unfathomably cheap here at the moment.

Dyor. I don't actually know if this will work. But anything that increases carrying costs will typically be less desirable for the ultra wealthy that are buying up many of the top properties.

Why not just a tax on non primary homes.... increasing tax on individuals that buy and live in the houses sounds counter productive.

 

[manny]

I have an idea that no one will like. Increase property taxes across the board. You want to be more investor repellant? There's your ticket. The taxes are unfathomably cheap here at the moment.

Dyor. I don't actually know if this will work. But anything that increases carrying costs will typically be less desirable for the ultra wealthy that are buying up many of the top properties.

Disagree if you’re taking specifically about rental properties. The additional costs will just be passed on to tenants.

Disagree more if you’re talking about all homes.

 

[hockeylover]

Fuck though, I'm already having to shell out a massive down payment to even get the mortgage low enough to be doable. Increasing the property taxes even more would be a tough pill.

I'm only buying now for the first time.