Brian Crombie Radio Hour - Epi 1648 - Canada’s Housing Crisis: Too Expensive to Buy, Too Hard to Build

On this episode of The Brian Crombie Hour, we examine Canada’s deepening housing crisis—where homes have become both unaffordable to buy and increasingly unfeasible to build. Guest David Graham, real estate developer and founder of Atlantic Developments, breaks down his Globe and Mail analysis of a system weighed down by rising costs, regulatory delays, development charges, and labour shortages. The conversation explores why housing supply has stalled despite growing demand, and what it will take to restart meaningful construction in Canada. From approval bottlenecks to financing barriers, the episode highlights how structural issues—not just market forces—are driving the crisis. The show also considers potential solutions, including faster approvals, policy reform, and new building approaches like modular construction, alongside a closing reflection on Canada’s broader challenges in productivity and execution. A must-listen discussion on one of the most pressing economic and social issues facing the country today.