Cost of housing in Canada

[mariomike]

The cost of housing in Canada,

The average condo price in Toronto is $400K more than what most people can afford

It's no secret that affordability has dwindled drastically, with even median-income earners struggling to keep up and finding it next to impossible t…

www.blogto.com

 

[Furniture]

The cost of housing in Canada,

The average condo price in Toronto is $400K more than what most people can afford

It's no secret that affordability has dwindled drastically, with even median-income earners struggling to keep up and finding it next to impossible t…

www.blogto.com

It's interesting when you see numbers like that, because it highlights a slightly dangerous situation. If the average voter can't afford housing, and a lifestyle they feel like they should have, they will vote for whoever promises them that home and lifestyle.

About 90-100 years ago some Europeans lost faith in the political class to fix the issues facing their countries, so they elected some rather unsavoury characters to fix things. We aren't there, but if things don't start to come around, we could end up somewhere similar.

 

[Kirkhill]

That would negate the power of expropriation that the State reserves for public works. Otherwise, you get this:

View attachment 80363


It also might mean that your neighbour could open a metal fabrication shop in a residential area. Zoning rules don't deprive people of property, but they do limit what they can do on it. If it is a legitimate use that gets changed by new rules, it is typically grandfathered.

Expropriation is not prohibited by a right to property. Unless you mean to expropriate without appropriate, reasonable compensation.

 

[Halifax Tar]

Douglas Todd: Many Canadian politicians belong to the landlord class. We should question their motivations

It's relevant to ask about conflict of interest when so many cabinet ministers, MPs make serious money through their real estate investments

vancouversun.com

This column from the sun détails why this might be a problem.

There is a definite vale of conflict of interest in this.

And I truly don't trust the political class to do anything that would hurt their bottom line. Sacrifice for the greater good, is not their battle cry.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

There is a definite vale of conflict of interest in this.

And I truly don't trust the political class to do anything that would hurt their bottom line. Sacrifice for the greater good, is not their battle cry.

And lawyers who are MPs? Doctors? Farmers? All MPs will only vote their personal bottom line?

 

[Halifax Tar]

And lawyers who are MPs? Doctors? Farmers? All MPs will only vote their personal bottom line?

Can you give me an example of when they haven't ? When was the last time they put the good of country before themselves ?

I'll admit my bias against the political class, I don't hide it. It's all over these forums. Same with my disdain for the judiciary. They're all just people and they're all fallible and open to corruption. And I believe most of them are corrupt.

 

[Remius]

I think when we see that a higher than average proportion of MPs and MPPs across all party lines getting rich off of real estate and are enabled by their perks to do so and we see years of neglect on housing affordability, it’s fair to question the motivations of the political class to want to fix a problem that should have been fixed long before now.

 

[GR66]

Can you give me an example of when they haven't ? When was the last time they put the good of country before themselves ?

I'll admit my bias against the political class, I don't hide it. It's all over these forums. Same with my disdain for the judiciary. They're all just people and they're all fallible and open to corruption. And I believe most of them are corrupt.

When we start talking about our elected officials and judiciary as an entitled and corrupt "political class" I'm reminded of the Family Compact/Chateau Clique. Will history repeat itself?

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I think when we see that a higher than average proportion of MPs and MPPs across all party lines getting rich off of real estate and are enabled by their perks to do so and we see years of neglect on housing affordability, it’s fair to question the motivations of the political class to want to fix a problem that should have been fixed long before now.

This is exactly my point- the Canadian disease of envy.

Our elected officials may be feckless and a stupid, but who is that really on? Who is voting them in?

Of all the dumb things our MPs do in a day, accusing them of being ”landlords” and “property owners” is the least dumb thing.

 

[Remius]

This is exactly my point- the Canadian disease of envy.

Our elected officials may be feckless and a stupid, but who is that really on? Who is voting them in?

Of all the dumb things our MPs do in a day, accusing them of being ”landlords” and “property owners” is the least dumb thing.

It’s not a question of envy.

It’s perception. It isn’t about who we vote in but a system that is heavily titled to benefit them. We have a housing crisis and they benefit if it stays a crisis. Have we seen any real action or proposals to fix the issue? I’m not saying it’s done on purpose but they will certainly drag their feet to fix it and take advantage of it as long as they can.

MPs get 28K a year for housing. That’s a nice down payment and it’s a nice way to pay a mortgage and gain equity never mind rent. None of that comes out of their already generous salaries. It’s a running secret that MPs know this and get into the rental game and not only that, rent to their peers as well.

Being landlords is not the problem. Being landlords when a housing crisis that isn’t being addressed is.

 

[Kirkhill]

Can you give me an example of when they haven't ? When was the last time they put the good of country before themselves ?

I'll admit my bias against the political class, I don't hide it. It's all over these forums. Same with my disdain for the judiciary. They're all just people and they're all fallible and open to corruption. And I believe most of them are corrupt.

Hold hard there.

There is a world of difference between self-interest and corruption.

I believe everybody acts out of self- interest. I don't believe that makes everybody corrupt.

 

[Halifax Tar]

This is exactly my point- the Canadian disease of envy.

Our elected officials may be feckless and a stupid, but who is that really on? Who is voting them in?

Of all the dumb things our MPs do in a day, accusing them of being ”landlords” and “property owners” is the least dumb thing.

Where do you get envious from ?

How can we trust people who have a vested financial interest in an industry to do what's best for all vice what's best for them and the industry ?

Hold hard there.

There is a world of difference between self-interest and corruption.

I believe everybody acts out of self- interest. I don't believe that makes everybody corrupt.

If you act in self interest at the expense of everyone else, you've been corrupted and you're corrupt.

 

[Kirkhill]

If you act in self interest at the expense of everyone else, you've been corrupted and you're corrupt.

“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”​

― Adam Smith, An Inquiry into the Nature & Causes of the Wealth of Nations, Vol 1

The thing about parliament is not that it excludes the butcher, brewer or baker but that in parliament they meet their customers, who are also pursuing their legitimate self-interests and there they are supposed to come to agreements that both sides can accept.

The butcher, brewer and baker share common interests in that they are all selling different goods to the same customers. But, they are also each other's customers. A benefit to the butcher will likely hurt both the brewer and the baker as much as their common customers.

That is why parliament is important.

It has to an arena for non-violent dispute resolution.

And that is why the party system, especially the Canadian party system, bothers me so much.

The King's government is not supposed to dominate parliament. It is supposed to be another supplicant, like the butchers, bakers and brewers, seeking their approval along with the rest of society.

Don't go blaming the bakers or the landlords.

Blame those people that have gamed the system to procure for themselves the benefits of a dictatorship in democrat clothing.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

Well said, Kirkhill.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The thing about parliament is not that it excludes the butcher, brewer or baker but that in parliament they meet their customers, who are also pursuing their legitimate self-interests and there they are supposed to come to agreements that both sides can accept.

The butcher, brewer and baker share common interests in that they are all selling different goods to the same customers. But, they are also each other's customers. A benefit to the butcher will likely hurt both the brewer and the baker as much as their common customers.

That is why parliament is important.

It has to an arena for non-violent dispute resolution.

And that is why the party system, especially the Canadian party system, bothers me so much.

The King's government is not supposed to dominate parliament. It is supposed to be another supplicant, like the butchers, bakers and brewers, seeking their approval along with the rest of society.

Don't go blaming the bakers or the landlords.

Blame those people that have gamed the system to procure for themselves the benefits of a dictatorship in democrat clothing.

Blame the game, not the playa. Sure.

It's still the playa who decides to game the game and work for their own self interest.

 

[Halifax Tar]

The article seems to feed into my sentiment.

Do what's best for the whole, not what's best for one's self.

It's time for rugby to act – Andy Goode

The leading nations in world rugby have to end the self-interest and short-termism that has blighted the game and come together to better support so-called Tier 2 nations and the time is now.

www.rugbypass.com

 

[Kirkhill]

Blame the game, not the playa. Sure.

It's still the playa who decides to game the game and work for their own self interest.

Oh no. I am quite content to blame the players. I just think we need to be careful deciding who the threats are. And, in my opinion, the threats don't come from those that follow the rules, even to the extent of using the rules to change the rules. The rules are always subject to change.

In a parliamentary democracy.

The problem comes from those that would stop the change and fix the rules to their advantage. Some of those may be landlords. Some may be well meaning crusaders.

 

[Brad Sallows]

It's in the self-interest of people employed to fix problems to keep the problems going. Somehow the economic incentives of problem-fixers have to be shifted away from that. Otherwise, all the "War on XXX" are "Forever Wars".

 

[Eaglelord17]

The whole reason this crisis exists is because when we had opportunities to slowly deflate it, we did everything we could to kick the can down the road. Now when it does deflate (likely sooner than later) it is going to be a violent shock for everyone.

 

[mariomike]

Move to the US or Europe, if you can

https://www.reddit.com/r/canadahousing/comments/16t5k25