The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern
Welcome to the Missing Middle, a podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to reverse course.
Episodes
71 episodes since 2023
It’s Now Easier to Pay More for Housing!
This week, the federal government announced some big changes to mortgage policies in Canada. Specifically, it’s expanding 30-year mortgage amortizations to anyone buying a new build, or to all first-time homebuyers. It’s also raising the insure...
September 18, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 71
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20:53
Why is Falling Rent Framed as Bad News?
Rents are down in some college towns, and some are crediting the government's international student reforms. In news stories about rents falling, the media often frame price reductions as a bad thing, even though it’s a huge relief for stude...
September 11, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 70
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20:47
You Can't Grow a Country Just On Temporary Immigration
Economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss Canada's record levels of population growth -- and how the majority of it came from record levels of temporary immigration.Since these numbers became known, due to backlash from t...
September 06, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 69
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14:18
Why Don't Vacant Home Taxes Work?
Cities across Canada are implementing vacant home taxes to address the issue of homes sitting empty. These taxes aim to encourage owners to sell or rent out their vacant properties. Economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the c...
September 04, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 68
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17:16
The Challenges of Multiplex Construction: Ryan Valente at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
August 30, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 67
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3:03
Can Millennials Afford to Have Kids?
In this conversation, Cara and Mike discuss the financial considerations of having children. They touch on topics such as housing costs, childcare expenses, and the impact on income during parental leave. They also explore the limitations of th...
August 28, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 66
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22:00
Upzoning Toronto's Major Streets: Naama Blonder at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
August 23, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 65
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4:43
The High-Wage TFW Program Has Some Problems Too
There's been a lot of news lately about the low-wage stream of the temporary foreign worker program -- but the high-wage stream has similar problems.In this episode, Cara and Mike explore the types of jobs that are being filled through ...
August 21, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 64
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19:37
Building Multiplexes Under Toronto's Newest Bylaws: Blair Scorgie at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
August 16, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 63
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7:42
How the Temporary Foreign Worker Program Suppresses Wages
Canada has seen a significant increase in the number of low-wage temporary foreign workers, raising concerns about the impact on the job market. The low-wage stream of temporary foreign workers is tied to specific employers and is measured rela...
August 14, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 62
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20:31
Financing Missing Middle Apartment Buildings: Max Goyzman at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
August 09, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 61
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4:53
Why are Young Families Leaving Big Cities?
Back in 2021, Mike Moffatt wrote: "The top-10 most common ages to leave Toronto are the ten between the ages of 31–35 and 0–4. The singl...
August 07, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 60
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17:54
Why Loosening Elevator Policy Means More Homes: Stephen Smith @MarketUrbanism at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke t...
August 02, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 59
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6:26
Should Cities Require Density, or Encourage It?
This conversation explores the intersection of the Yes In My Backyard movement and urbanism, focusing on the question of whether the end goal is to legalize or require dense, walkable neighborhoods. Mike and Cara discuss the benefi...
July 31, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 58
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19:33
What It Takes to Scale Up Urban Infill: Shea Gallagher at the Missing Middle Summer 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
July 26, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 57
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3:41
Why Mike Moffatt Doesn’t Love Land Value Taxes
Recently, economist Mike Moffatt got into a bit of a Twitter argument with housing advocates who think a land value tax can solve the housing crisis. He doesn’t think so. This conversation explores the idea of a land value tax as a...
July 24, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 56
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23:00
Designing and Building Infill Homes: Evan Saskin at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
On May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day conference.The Missing Middle podcast team spoke ...
July 19, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 55
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7:02
Is the System Rigged Against Millennials and Gen Z?
A recent Leger poll examined how young Canadians feel about their economic situation, and whether they're getting enough support from the government.Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern discuss the results, which found that millennials and Gen Z...
July 17, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 54
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19:41
Why We Need Missing Middle Homes: Eric Lombardi at the Missing Middle Summit 2024
Part of the Missing Middle Summit SeriesOn May 23, professionals who work in the industry to develop missing middle housing, as well as those interested in building them, gathered at the Toronto Reference Library for a one-day co...
July 12, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 53
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5:48
Canada’s Addiction to Temporary Foreign Workers
The number of temporary foreign workers in Canada has been increasing, and that has led to all sorts of concerns. There’s low youth employment levels, stagnant wages, and industries that rely entirely on low-wage temporary workers to keep pr...
July 10, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 52
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23:05
Why Single Stairways are Heaven for Homebuilding - Interview with Conrad Speckert
If you get deep enough into the conversation about the housing crisis, you're inevitably going to hear the words "single egress". A lot of people, especially in Canada, think that the country is too strict with its stairwell rules, which requir...
July 03, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 51
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25:56
Should Politicians Encourage a Return to the Office?
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss return-to-office plans and the role of politicians in helping local business districts survive. It explores the controversy surrounding t...
June 26, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 50
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17:09
Should Landlords Get Tax Breaks to Sell to their Tenants?
In this discussion, Smart Prosperity Institute economist Mike Moffatt and journalist Cara Stern discuss the idea of a tax break for landlords in the UK who sell their homes to their tenants. They explore the potential impact of this policy a...
June 20, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 49
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13:05
How Elevator Rules Cost Us Homes
In this discussion, Mike and Cara talk to Stephen Smith, executive director of the non-profit Center for Building in North America about how elevators and building codes have contributed to the ho...
June 19, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 48
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26:54
Are Landlords Greedier Than They Used to Be?
Here at the Missing Middle, we get a lot of great listener questions. In this episode, we answer one about whether landlords' expectations play a role in unaffordable rental prices.The conversation discusses the challenges faced by mill...
June 12, 2024
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Season 1
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Episode 47
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17:58