Why Canada Stopped Building Homes for Families

For years, Canada's housing strategy focused on increasing the number of housing units built. But even during periods of record apartment construction, family-sized homes became increasingly scarce.In this episode of the Demografix, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern unpack a major problem hidden inside Canada's housing statistics: the country is building fewer family-sized homes than it did 20 years ago.Why are three-bedroom homes becoming so difficult to find? Why are developers building more small condos instead of homes for families? And how do zoning rules, development charges, land shortages, and housing policies shape what gets built?The conversation explores:• Why housing "units" and housing "homes" are not the same thing• The dramatic decline in single-detached homes, semis, and townhouses• Why family-sized condos remain rare and expensive• How rising land costs and government policies affect housing supply• The connection between housing affordability and Canada's falling birth rate• Why many young families are leaving major cities• Policy solutions that could help create more family-friendly housingIf Canada wants cities that work for young families, workers, and future generations, we need to start measuring success by more than just the number of housing units built.Chapters:00:55 What Families Actually Need In A Home02:00 Why Three-Bedroom Apartments Are So Rare04:09 Why Condos Stop Making Sense For Families05:00 Canada Is Building Fewer Family-Sized Homes07:06 The Problem With Counting “Units” Instead Of Homes09:03 Who Shoebox Condos Actually Work For10:07 If Demand Is Strong, Why Aren’t Builders Responding?12:14 Why The GTA Builds Fewer Family Homes14:02 Urban Boundaries, Sprawl, And Long Commutes15:16 Taxes And Fees That Favor McMansions16:52 Why Developers Don’t Build Family-Sized Apartments18:28 Housing Costs, Birth Rates, And Families Leaving Cities22:05 How Canada Could Fix Family HousingResearch/links:From Policy Gridlock to Housing Growth: A Roadmap for Gentle Densityhttps://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/from-policy-gridlock-to-housing-growth Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina MaddeauxProduced by Meredith MartinFunded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/