Eastbound and Outpriced: The Great GTA Family Migration

What happens when one city councillor gets Toronto council to vote in favour of “studying” garden suites on a single block, potentially undoing years of zoning reform? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Meredith Martin dig into the Craven Road and Parkmount Avenue dispute to reveal how neighbourhood politics, NIMBYism, and endless “consultation” are slowing Toronto’s housing progress. From the satirical truth of McSweeney’s “Every NIMBY Speech at a Public Hearing” to the real frustrations of current and future home owners, Meredith and Mike explore why the city’s gentle density goals keep stalling, and how one councillor’s compromise could set a dangerous precedent for zoning across the city.Chapters00:00 Introduction 01:47 The NIMBY phenomenon03:32 Outlining the Craven and Parkmount garden suite dispute05:45 Proposed compromises and their implications07:30 Mike’s take on the compromise plan09:29 Good zoning reforms make good neighbours10:14 Future residents are excluded from the process11:49 The Role of city councillors, residents and planners14:15 Call to actionResearch/links:Every NIMBY’s Speech At a Public Hearinghttps://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/every-nimbys-speech-at-a-public-hearingNIMBYs will Fight Even the Gentlest of Densityhttps://youtu.be/6WavljFV7fM?si=O3jyplV1JRwiIxtdPaula Fletcherhttps://www.toronto.ca/city-government/council/members-of-council/councillor-ward-14/Notice of Public Meeting - City-Initiated Amendment to Zoning By-law 569-2013 for performance standards for garden suites on through lots (Parkmount Road / Craven Road) - 91-209 Parkmount Road (Odd Addresses Only) and 160 Mountjoy Avenuehttps://secure.toronto.ca/nm/api/individual/notice/6660.doHow Cities Keep Screwing up Multiplex Housinghttps://youtu.be/MeojzNbB6Io?si=fbZ8hl3b6vnN-DrLBroken Zoning: Why We Can’t Fix the Housing Crisis Without a Maphttps://youtu.be/yuAsjJsiuyQ?si=iWyBl1j_LfNJ4S3ySimpson reference:https://youtu.be/lOTyUfOHgas?si=mbIwSskm6Jdll8yUJournal of a New COBRA Recruithttps://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/journal-of-a-new-cobra-recruitHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Ontario’s family housing crisis is spreading fast, and it’s not just a GTA problem anymore. In this episode of The Missing Middle podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt delve into a new report that reveals how the shortage of family-friendly homes in the GTA is driving young families east and south, reshaping entire regions from Peterborough to Ottawa. Chapters00:00 Introduction 01:55 Understanding ground-oriented ownership homes04:00 The ripple effect of GTA's housing shortage06:40 Population growth and its impact on housing09:00 Drive-until-you-qualify: migration patterns13:29 Future projections for housing needs16:08 How eastern Ontario should prepare for population growth18:30 You can’t expect families to change their preferences19:58 Would Sabrina ever move east?Research/links:Read our report herehttps://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/families-on-the-move-670000-moreWho Really Wins with Return-to-Office Mandates?https://youtu.be/208zVYQWfh4?si=Gg3hdhPRr_iJItjYHosts: Sabrina Maddeaux https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.socialProducer: Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin @meredithmartin.bsky.socialEditor: Sean Foreman@[email protected] Student: Djeima Alicia RamosThis podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dig into the rise of shrinkflation, from grocery store products like cereal and Kraft Dinner to Canada’s shrinking condos, and reveal how companies, developers, and government policies are quietly giving Canadians less for more. From deceptive packaging and behavioral economics tricks to the rise of shoebox condos and poor layouts, we explore how rising costs, investor-driven development, and flawed housing policies are reshaping everyday life. If you’ve ever wondered why your groceries don’t stretch as far or why today’s apartments feel more like closets than homes, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:08 Understanding shrinkflation02:54 Sabrina’s a KD fangirl - who knew?05:12 The economics behind shrinkflation07:22 Price anchoring explained08:25 The shrinking size of living spaces11:52 Why are units getting so much smaller?15:39 What’s driving bad design?18:02 Generational perspectives on housing preferences19:22 Constrained optimization explained21:26 Is the investor condo market dead?23:30 Policy changes to combat shrinkflationresearch/links:Working paper Mike refers to: Shrinkflation∗https://drive.google.com/file/d/15tpbhBziggFL-RvjlVgjqBQcNXzcIrWh/viewCondo size datahttps://www.mpac.ca/en/News/PressRelease/spacioushomescompactcondosMPACdatarevealsshiftinghousingtrendsacrossOntario The condo crash won’t fix our housing problem. In fact, it just might make it worsehttps://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/the-condo-crash-wont-fix-our-housing-problem-in-fact-it-just-might-make-it/article_7c44519f-cdbe-4978-b575-ffc1ef9a76bd.htmlHosts: Sabrina Maddeaux https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.socialProducer: Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin @meredithmartin.bsky.socialEditor: Sean Foreman@[email protected] Student: Djeima Alicia RamosThis podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Ontario’s housing market is in crisis, and it’s not just condos in downtown Toronto. In this episode of The Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux break down a bleak new report on housing starts and sales across 34 municipalities. From plummeting pre-construction sales and stalled ground-oriented homes, to the looming loss of 21,000 jobs, we explore why affordability is worse than ever, why government housing targets are falling short, and what it all means for buyers, renters, and the economy.Chapters00:00 Introduction and overview of the housing crisis 01:59 Insights from the residential construction report card03:19 Falling housing starts and rising unemployment04:10 Understanding housing starts and sales dynamics06:01 What is a housing start?08:00 1.5 million homes by 2032 is unachievable 09:19 Any good news?10:02  Political accountability and the housing crisisResearch/Links:Failing Grades, Falling Starts: Ontario Housing’s Bleak Mid-Year CheckupCondo Crashes, Shrinkflation, & The Death of Homeownership?Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down Ontario’s new return-to-office mandate and the big banks’ similar policies, asking what they really mean for younger workers and families already facing high housing costs, long commutes, and stagnant wages. They explore the trade-offs between productivity, commuting, and control, while producer Meredith Martin joins to share her perspective as a former union leader on mentorship, collaboration, and what might be lost if remote work fully takes over.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:15 Return to office mandates: An overview04:22 What Premier Ford’s RTO mandate is trying to achieve05:15 Impact on younger workers and families06:55 Disconnect between RTO mandates and ESG targets09:26 Meredith thinks humans should see each other IRL12:43 The role of mentorship and social interaction at work15:20 Debating how much office culture has changedresearch/links:Productivity During and Since the PandemicThe Post-Pandemic Workplace: The Experiment ContinuesNumber of Canadian commuters increases for fourth straight year in 2025Romance in the work place:Esther Perel on How Technology Is Changing Love and Work | Prof G ConversationsNew SHRM Survey: Workplace Romance 2023Mixing work with pleasure: Two-thirds of Brits have been romantically involved with a colleagueReturn to the Office:Amazon Tells Corporate Workers to Be Back in the Office 5 Days a WeekExecutives and Research Disagree About Hybrid Work. Why?Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dig into Canada’s condo market crash, the rise of “housing shrinkflation,” and what it all means for young Canadians chasing the dream of homeownership. They unpack why falling condo prices aren’t actually fixing the housing crisis, how developers and government policies have fueled the problem, and why middle-class buyers are being left behind. If you’ve been wondering whether Canada is headed for a nation of “forever renters,” this is a conversation you don’t want to miss.Chapters00:00 Introduction02:02 The condo market collapse: an overview04:03  The impact of shrinkflation on housing04:54 Ron Butler pop up07:48 Government policies and middle-class homeownership11:56 The future of homeownership in canadaResearch/linksSabrina’s Toronto Star column https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/the-condo-crash-wont-fix-our-housing-problem-in-fact-it-just-might-make-it/article_7c44519f-cdbe-4978-b575-ffc1ef9a76bd.htmlNew Condo Sales in GTA Hit 3rd-Highest Level on Record in 2019: Reporthttps://storeys.com/new-condo-sales-gta-2019/Homeownership rate for City of Toronto:https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/as-sa/fogs-spg/alternative.cfm?topic=7&lang=E&dguid=2021A00033520&objectId=7 Toronto condo market is in ‘free fall,’ federal housing minister sayshttps://www.thestar.com/real-estate/toronto-condo-market-is-in-free-fall-federal-housing-minister-says/article_66c26722-1f22-4b28-bf95-3e98f2e02159.htmlRon Butler: Condo Crash Meets Housing Crisishttps://youtu.be/9xD5veEsB3U?si=-9A-N2jecO8u63N8Hosts: Sabrina Maddeaux https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.socialProducer: Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin @meredithmartin.bsky.socialEditor: Sean Foreman@[email protected] podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Ever wonder what people at think tanks actually do all day? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt pull back the curtain on the mysterious world of think tanks. From how they’re structured and funded, to the challenges of staying independent, they explore what really goes on behind the scenes. You’ll also hear about career opportunities for young professionals, why U.S. think tanks dwarf their Canadian counterparts, and how think tanks influence policies that affect our everyday lives—from housing to poverty reduction. If you’ve ever been curious about the brains behind public policy, this episode is for you.Chapters00:00 Introduction03:00 Understanding think tanks04:38 The structure and function of academic think tanks07:53 Funding models: how think tanks sustain themselves09:34 Misconceptions about think tank funding11:58 Maintaining independence: challenges and strategies16:13 Career opportunities in think tanks18:09 Comparing Canadian and American think tanksHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Why do some infill housing projects spark outrage while others fly under the radar? In this episode of The Missing Middle, host Sabrina Matto sits down with former London City Councillor and researcher Jesse Helmer to unpack 15 years of planning committee decisions. They explore why certain housing proposals face fierce opposition, what factors reduce pushback, and how cities can actually build more homes with community support. From surprising success stories to lessons learned in local politics, this conversation sheds light on the politics of infill housing—and why it matters for solving Canada’s housing crisis.If you’re interested in urban planning, housing affordability, or how communities can embrace smarter growth, this episode is for you.Chapters00:00 Introduction 01:00 Infill development research with Jesse Helmer02:40 Factors influencing opposition to housing proposals05:30 Research methodology and analysis08:23 Following up with residents after a project is built11:15 Jesse’s personal journey as a London city councillor14:08 Optimism for housing solutions16:28  Personal reflections about Jesse’s time on London city councilResearch:https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/the-politics-of-infill-housing-whatGuest: Jesse Helmer:  https://x.com/jesse_helmerHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Canadian cities are facing a creative crisis. Rising housing costs are driving artists, musicians, designers, and other innovators out — and it’s not just culture that’s at risk. In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down how losing the “creative class” hurts local economies, tourism, and even a city’s ability to attract tech and finance talent. From the ripple effects on nightlife and small businesses to the loss of vital cultural spaces, we explore why cities can’t afford to price out their creative heartbeat — and what policies could help keep them.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:13 Defining the creative class exodus02:57 How housing costs impacts creative workers05:54 The economic consequences of pricing out creatives08:45 The ripple effect of losing creative spaces to the housing crisis11:16 You can’t simply trade artists for tech workers 12:50 How this impacts the tourism economy14:50 Policy solutions for retaining creativesResearch/Links:Richard FloridaToronto Arts Council economic impact studyCBC Arts article on artist couples leaving TorontoRichard Florida's work on creative cities and economic developmentBusiness Parks Suck (but they don't have to)Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

Are young Canadians being taxed like millionaires while living like broke students? Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dive into the jaw-dropping disconnect between salaries, taxes, and the insane cost of housing. From bold tax reform ideas to creative fixes for rent, down payments, and wealth inequality, they tackle the policies (and politics) holding the next generation back. Expect sharp insights, a few laughs, and fresh solutions that could actually make life affordable again.Chapters00:00 The Tax Burden on Young Canadians11:24 Proposed Tax Reforms and Their Implications23:17 Wealth Inequality and Asset Inflation34:55 Finding Solutions for Young CanadiansResearch/Links:To fix housing, we must rethink what wealth means in CanadaCIBC chief calls for tax changes to help young Canadians struggling to save moneyCanada housing affordability and market trendsWealthsimpleHosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.