@kensingtonmarket.bsky.social
@communityland.bsky.social

Community Land Trusts and the Future of Kensington Market Podcast Episode · New Housing Alternatives · April 17 · 31m

Out now!

Kensington Market CLT talks about how communities can fight for neighbourhood change on their own terms, and win!
- organizing to stop a Walmart
- preventing renovictions
- winning funds to buy 3 apartments
- preparing to break ground on new builds
podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/c...

Yes but for whom?

Worth noting that in Oshawa CMA, investors acquired:

38% of townhomes completed between 2021 & 2023, &
30% of those completed 2016-20.

56% of condos completed 2021-23, &
54% completed 2016-20

StatCan has yet to release data for 2024 & on (www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/c...)

Yes but for whom?

Worth noting that in Oshawa CMA, investors acquired:

38% of townhomes completed between 2021 & 2023, &
30% of those completed 2016-20.

56% of condos completed 2021-23, &
54% completed 2016-20

StatCan has yet to release data for 2024 & on (www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/c...)

Opinion: Now that condo prices are down, Ottawa should buy them in bulk The measure would have to be communicated as a one-off; the government wouldn’t want to encourage new condo developments

Another bail out is possible, one that ends with communities owning more homes, not less

As @ricardotranjan.bsky.social writes, "now condo prices are down, Ottawa should buy them in bulk"

Bail outs should transfer homes to non-profits, not wealthy investors.
www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...

Take HQC, the $1.3B private fund backed by a $300M public loan to acquire up 2,200 condos.

HQC alone stands to take $169 million in public money through HST rebates.

Who benefits?

HQC "plans to sell the rental units to investors after holding them for a minimum of five years”.

Condo investment fund set to benefit from Ontario’s proposed tax break Rebate gives High Art Capital a financial incentive to make bulk purchases of unsold condos to add them to the rental market

Housing bail out - who benefits?

A clear winner: the nearly "50 private funds & high-net-worth individuals buying...condos in batches of 40 to 50”

The $2.2B HST break gives these firms "another financial incentive" to bulk buy - up to $130k per home 👇🧵

www.theglobeandmail.com/business/art...

The 2026 Ontario budget neglects core provincial responsibilities. By @ricardotranjan.bsky.social and @alonghurst.bsky.social :

Read more ➡ www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Manitoba Budget 2026 - CCPA Focus on budget balance overshadows public service rebuild and support for low-income Manitobans in Budget 2026

Focus on budget balance overshadows public service rebuild and support for low-income Manitobans in Budget 2026. By @mollymccracken.bsky.social and Niall Harney. #mbpoli www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Image of an older man with a walker in his home. Text on the left says: Participate in the review panel on accessible housing

The National Housing Council’s review panel on #AccessibleHousing is now open for contributions!

You can contribute to the review panel by making a written submission: nhc-cnl.ca/review-panel... (1/3)

All Ontario buyers will be eligible for HST rebate on new homes for one year, Ford says Premier Doug Ford says the province and federal government plan to temporarily expand the HST rebate for new homes in the province, allowing all buyers a rebate of up to $130,000.

Ontario will offer up to $130k tax breaks for all buyers of new homes, including investors buying “rental property”.

Before, the HST rebate was for 1st-time buyers.

Now, it will help buyers who already own outbid those who don’t, costing the public dearly.

www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/poli...

"Governments [are creating] programs to have...big players invest in more housing. Is that a misguided policy direction?"

"...Building more housing is important, particularly affordable housing. The solution to affordability, though, isn't more market housing being built by financial firms."

Don't miss NHAs' Martine August on "Good for Cities".

Her data-driven research ID's a big problem.

A few huge financial firms are re-shaping 🇨🇦's rental landscape - aggressively 📈 rents & eviction rates.

infrastructureinstitute.ca/engagement/g...

@iiutoronto.bsky.social @uoftcities.bsky.social

You can listen to the NHA podcast on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts:

newhousingalternatives.ca/podcast/

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

A big example: a major new co‑op at Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown site, adding 612 rent-controlled units.

This will be the largest purpose-built rental co-op in the country.

A key ingredient making the development viable: Mayor Chow’s commitment to donate the public land on which it's being built.

Tim walks us through the renewed momentum behind co‑op development, including the $1.5 billion Co-op Housing Development Program.

He also discusses important new partnerships with municipalities, which are laying the groundwork for major new developments.

Because co-ops are governed by and for residents, they tend to be far more stable and affordable.

Members are shielded from demovictions, renovictions, and extreme rent hikes.

Research shows co-op members typically pay between $500 & $900 less than market rents on comparable private homes

Unlike privately owned rental buildings, co-ops are not governed by and for profit-oriented investors.

Nor are they traded on speculative markets and subject to acquisition by aggressive financial firms.

Co-ops are owned and operated democratically, through elected boards.

The Co-operative Comeback Podcast Episode · New Housing Alternatives · March 20 · 29m

Co-operatives pose a powerful alternative to relying on profit-oriented landlords.

This month's NHA podcast focuses on the recent growth📈& policy wins of the co-op housing alternative.

We speak with Tim Ross, CEO of the Co-op Housing Federation of Canada 🧵👇

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

Kicking away the ladder: The true cost of changes to the Ontario Student Assistance Program - CCPA Changes to OSAP will drastically reduce access to post-secondary education in Ontario and force more students to take on a lot more debt

Changes to OASP will drastically reduce access to post-secondary education in Ontario and force more students to take on a lot more debt. By @ricardotranjan.bsky.social #onted @policyalternatives.ca @ccpa-on.bsky.social www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

Social assistance rates often too low to keep people housed, new research finds Data should signal an ‘impending crisis,’ study’s main author says

Social assistance rates often too low to keep people housed, new research finds.

"In Ontario alone, more than 30,000 people on social assistance were homeless ... an increase of 72 per cent since 2019."

www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/artic...

Holy sh*t. Wab Kinew's government just made using data to increase prices an unfair business practice. This is historic for Canada.

*Proposed bill bans suppliers from charging higher prices to certain consumers based on personalized or algorithmically determined information.

t.co/ZugFOj7983

Today's greatest inflationary pressures over the past year:
Groceries, rental housing, out of pocket purchases of healthcare services.
Electricity inflation has risen the fastest since November (year over year inflation)
From www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/c...

Nearly 5M renter households face vastly different eviction protections depending on where they live.

Our latest research documents this disparity, finding that strong tenant protections already exist within Canada, but they are not applied uniformly. 3 new tools clarify the differences:

Loyal to the Soil: Eco-Villages and Eco-Communities in Canda This conversation looks beyond idealism to examine the legal, cultural, and structural barriers to climate-conscious collective living.

Next Thursday at noon!

Loyal to the Soil brings together practitioners from eco-villages and eco-communities to explore how these models can support climate resilience and social equity.

Sign up for this free webinar here: www.eventbrite.ca/e/loyal-to-t...

The case for a wealth tax is stronger than ever in Canada - CCPA An excerpt from “Cancelling Billionaires Before They Cancel Us: The Urgent Case for a Wealth Tax” by Linda McQuaig & Neil Brooks

The issue of wealth inequality is one of the most pressing social and economic problems of our time. States must take action to rein in the power of billionaires—and one key tool for doing so would be a wealth tax. By @lindamcquaig.bsky.social + Neil Brooks.
www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...

AGI = Above-guideline rent increases! Sorry for the confusion!

But, if you are interested in understanding how landlords are using AI models to set rents and screen tenants, the NHA podcast's most recent episode (ft Dr Nemoy Lewis) dives into that discussion.

The Overhead: Rent Control and Rent Hikes Podcast Episode · Spacing Radio · February 27 · 59m

Great @spacingradio.bsky.social episode on strengthening rent controls.

NHAs' Drs. August & Mah explore:
- The loopholes allowing more & more units to go unregulated
- The📈use & abuse of AGIs by large landlords
- The power of organized tenants to stop rent hikes

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/t...

Racialized Evictions and AI in the Rental Housing System Podcast Episode · New Housing Alternatives · February 21 · 30m

Out now, episode 5 with Dr Nemoy Lewis!

We explore why Toronto's black-majority neighbourhoods face eviction rates up to 7X’s higher than average.

We discuss the role of large financial landlords, transit investments, & weak tenant protections.

podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/r...

Out today! Episode 4 of NHAs' podcast talks about the history of tenant rights & tenant organizing in Canada with CCPAs' Ricardo Tranjan.

We also discuss the growing influence of corporate landlords and strategies for building power through tenant unions & advocacy.

share.transistor.fm/s/e050b932