2025-07-22 Letter to PM Carney - Robertson Re Advancing Housing Affordability.pdf
"Canadaβs housing crisis demands a reset... Governments should not bail out speculative development models, but instead use this moment to invest in non-market housing..."
BC housing experts, including BSH's Dr. Penny Gurstein, call on Carney & Robertson to act.
π Read the letter:
01.08.2025 21:49 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Homes Still Arenβt Designed for a Body Like Mine
Why is it so hard for disabled people to find safe, accessible places to live?
#Housing inequities experienced by people living with disabilities go beyond #accessibility. They include issues of safety, security & dignity.
π° buff.ly/liciZYN
So, how well does Canadaβs housing meet accessible needs? Weβre digging into the data:
π buff.ly/Pg8qPTX
29.07.2025 18:02 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
#No-fault #evictions are increasingly common nationwide as landlords seek to maximize rental income.
CBC πΉ buff.ly/TfQjRPR
BSH research on BC & forthcoming research on the GTA evidence this trend, calling for greater renter protections.
Read more: buff.ly/71F9M1N
25.07.2025 19:18 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
Summer News from UBC's Housing Research Collaborative
From workshops and webinars to new research, renewed funding, and the Overhead season finaleβwe have plenty of #housing research updates to share, including upcoming events in Montreal & Halifax.
Read all the details in our latest newsletter from the Housing Research Collaborative π buff.ly/2rWqOI0
22.07.2025 22:03 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Thank you @ravikahlon.bsky.social for your leadership in BCβs #housing sector. Your dedication made a real impact in moving toward a more balanced supply of housing. Congrats @christineboyle.bsky.social on becoming Housing Minister! Looking forward to your vision for a more equitable housing future.
17.07.2025 19:00 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Explore our CLT policy report & profile series for more: buff.ly/vQG0M7s
π Shoutout to Little Jamaica CLT for protecting Black communities in Toronto!
buff.ly/wG1xwj9
π For more BSH research on the scattered housing trust model that supported Little Jamaica CLT's launch, visit: buff.ly/C0nzvDG
15.07.2025 15:15 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Responses and Resistance to Gentrification | Balanced Supply of Housing
This report examines how Canadian Community Land Trusts (CLTs) resist gentrification by decommodifying land, promoting community ownership, and ensuring long-term affordability, countering theβ¦
CLTs arenβt just about affordabilityβtheyβre tools for resisting gentrification & reclaiming community land. Our report by S. Bunce & E. Ezvan shows CLTs support:
β‘οΈDecommodification
β‘οΈCommunity control
β‘οΈPerpetual affordability
β‘οΈSocial justice in action
π Read the full report: buff.ly/khlgBrD
15.07.2025 15:15 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
π’ Add your voice and help push for a housing system grounded in human rights. Join us in supporting the @R2HNetwork's campaign here: buff.ly/I5Y83OI
10.07.2025 18:13 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Toronto's unhoused population reaches 'crisis' level, more than doubling in 3 years: survey | CBC News
Toronto's unhoused population more than doubled in three years, reaching an estimated 15,400 last fall, according to a new city survey that calls the numbers aΒ "crisis."
A 77% increase in Toronto's unhoused population over the last 3 years is a direct result of a lack of affordable #housing and #evictions. This isn't a symptom of a struggling economy. It is the result putting profit before people. And it needs to stop.
buff.ly/XRQF3hB.
10.07.2025 18:13 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
π Housing is a human rightβbut for many people with #disabilities in Canada, #accessible housing is anything but.
Watch our recent Research in Progress webinar as we dig into the data & lived realities to push for real change.
π§βπ»Watch the recording in the link below:
09.07.2025 18:27 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
The National Right to Housing Network
A national network dedicated to the progressive realization of the right to housing in Canada, and its meaningful implementation.
#Housing is a human rightβnot a commodity.
The impacts of financialization are devastating: #evictions, #displacement, the loss of deeply affordable homes. Add your voice to NRHN's campaign & build public pressure to ensure our housing system puts people before profit: buff.ly/I5Y83OI
07.07.2025 17:21 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
2025 Community Land Trust Summit
For more on all things CLTs, check out the Canadian Network of Community Land Trusts' CLT summit this September in Halifax. Grab a ticket before registration fills up!
buff.ly/ojhisLv
30.06.2025 16:07 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Community land trusts, or CLTs, are on the rise as an innovative land use model... but what what does that actually mean?
Check out our latest blog for a deep dive into what is a community land trust, what do they do, and what might the future of CLTs in Canada look like.
π§βπ» buff.ly/sPVySzb
30.06.2025 16:07 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
BSH: A Review of the First Five Years
BSH has received renewal funding for the next three years! Learn about what we've accomplished to date and where we plan to go from here.
We're thrilled to share that we've received renewed funding for the next 3 years from CMHC & SSHRC! As part of the CHRN, weβre building on five years of research to continue advancing bold ideas in #housing policy and practice.
Read our latest blog for more:
bsh.ubc.ca/bsh-a-review...
26.06.2025 22:34 β π 2 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
For more from BSH researchers on building for gentle densityβwhether through building code changes, allowing as-of-right multi-unit homes in traditionally single-family zoned neighbourhoods, or other methods, listen to our latest podcast: Non-Profit Housing and Gentle-Density.
buff.ly/DmKC1y9
25.06.2025 15:15 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Toronto moves step closer to allowing fiveplexes, sixplexes in bid to boost housing options | CBC News
Toronto has moved one step closer to allowing fiveplexes and sixplexes in neighbourhoods across the city.
"This is about housing equity & liveability. Allowing up to 6 units in detached buildings will unlock ground-related homes for families, seniors, newcomers & multigenerational householdsβpeople who are too often excluded from neighbourhoods built around a single housing type."
buff.ly/zsd0qhu
25.06.2025 15:15 β π 0 π 1 π¬ 1 π 0
Building the Right SupplyβBalanced Supply of Housing and BC Society of Transition Houses join the Neha Panel Oral Dialogue, June 20, 2025
The NEHA panel oral dialogue on June 20, 2025 brought critical insights and a deep sense of urgency to the conversation about gender-based violence, housing, and human rights. Their message wasβ¦
Canadaβs housing system is failing survivors of gender-based violence β but we have the knowledge and the tools to change that.
At today's #NEHA panel, BSH & BCSTH pushed for smart, rights-based investments in safe, non-profit #housing.
π Read our latest blog to see what's needed:
20.06.2025 19:39 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Toronto's new landlords β West End Phoenix
Theyβre ultra-rich, predominantly American, and over the next eight years theyβre bringing 21,000 units without rent control to a new building near you. The West End Phoenix has identified 21,677β¦
"In 2020, Canadaβs biggest financial firms purchased 90% of available rental stock in Toronto." Now, U.S. private equity is set to add 21K more units w/out rent control.
BSH researchers Nemoy Lewis & Martine August unpack what this means for affordability & tenant security.
π°
17.06.2025 15:15 β π 4 π 4 π¬ 0 π 0
Research in Progress | The Right to Accessible Housing
Join us for a presentation with Dr. Colin Phillips, Dr. Alina McKay, and Brad Evoy on accessible housing gaps in Canada.
Want to learn more from our research team? Join our upcoming Research in Progress Webinar on accessible housing needs this Wednesday (10 AM PT/1 PM ET) by registering here: buff.ly/ybBR9mo
16.06.2025 18:17 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Why Accessible Housing Still Isnβt Accessible Enough in Canada
Despite government promises and some progress, too many Canadians with disabilities still struggle to find homes that truly work for them.
Read our take on why accessible housing still isnβt accessible enough in Canada on our blog buff.ly/x4PbkGG for more.
16.06.2025 18:17 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
The R2H Network's Action Guide on the #financialization of purpose-built rental housing is a must read to understand the driving factors, impact, and actions needed for the federal government to uphold their commitment to ensure the right to #housing, as promised in the NHA.
β‘οΈhttps://buff.ly/TuQkqwq
13.06.2025 18:15 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
"Housing is a fundamental human right & everyone deserves a place to call home. Yet over 235K people in Canada are facing homelessness & more are denied the human right to housing, facing eviction, unaffordable housing or systemic barriers that make it impossible to escape homelessness."
13.06.2025 18:15 β π 1 π 0 π¬ 1 π 0
"Housing is a fundamental human right & everyone deserves a place to call home. Yet over 235K people in Canada are facing homelessness & more are denied the human right to housing, facing eviction, unaffordable housing or systemic barriers that make it impossible to escape homelessness."
13.06.2025 18:11 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
"Housing is a fundamental human right & everyone deserves a place to call home. Yet over 235K people in Canada are facing homelessness & more are denied the human right to housing, facing eviction, unaffordable housing or facing systemic barriers that make it impossible to escape homelessness."
13.06.2025 18:03 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
π§New podcast alert!
Hear from @vivreenville.bsky.social's Adam Mongrain & Ines Zerrouki, McGill's Nik Luka & βͺ@conradspeckert.bsky.socialβ¬ as they discuss smaller-scale approaches that have outsized impact on affordability & availability: non-profit housing & gentle density.
Listen @ buff.ly/AMbqf8x
13.06.2025 16:16 β π 6 π 5 π¬ 0 π 0
Subsidized social housing promotes economic well-being for Canadian renters, new study finds
New research looks at what types of assistance contribute the most to the economic well-being of Canadian renters.
New study shows social & non-market housing helps people cover basic needs, avoid missed rent & reduce financial stress. We need lasting rent-geared solutionsβnot just cash allowances. buff.ly/QaG0bSd
β‘οΈ See similar insights in our Filling the Gaps research at: buff.ly/Wfl0xkf
12.06.2025 17:20 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
Next week's Research in Progress webinar will dive into how housing meets the accessibility needs of Canadians & gaps where policy changes are needed. Hear from @evoy.bsky.social⬠& Alina McKay on Wed 10AM PT/1PM ET
β‘οΈhttps://buff.ly/yg9BhTH
Presented in partnership w/ @accessiblehousgnet.bsky.social
11.06.2025 22:17 β π 2 π 2 π¬ 0 π 0
Safeway redevelopment at Commercial-Broadway Station approved by Vancouver City Council | Urbanized
After 10 years of planning, Vancouver City Council has approved the Safeway redevelopment at SkyTrain's Commercial-Broadway Station.
Itβs disappointing to see exceptions made to below-market-rate housing mandatesβespecially with affordable #housing need at an all-time high in Vancouver. With the highest rents in Canada, concessions like this keep pressure on low-income #renters.
11.06.2025 17:18 β π 0 π 0 π¬ 0 π 0
PhD Candidate
Geography and Planning, University of Toronto
Studying everything housing
Interested in liberation research and housing people.
Research Director UCBerkeley Urban Displacement Project
Director UCB Eviction Research Network @evictionresearch.bsky.social
evictionresearch.net
Canadian Housing Evidence Collaborative (CHEC)/ Collectif canadien pour la recherche sur le logement (CCRL).
Located at McMaster University, we are Canadaβs thought leaders on housing and the hub for the Collaborative Housing Research Network (CHRN).
Urbanist, planner, educator (planning faculty at the University of Alberta). Making the jump from the old ways of social media.
π General Manager Planning, Urban Design & Sustainability and Director of Planning at City of Vancouver π
Cities are life! Writing about Vancouver region urban issues, politics, housing + more for Globe and Mail mainly, BCBusiness, Vancouver mag, and a few more. Grand-daughter of Saskatchewan farmers, mom/step-mom to four millennials coping with housing market
Journalist
Obsessed with housing and the ongoing disappearance of the middle class.
Co-host for the Missing Middle podcast with Mike Moffatt
Former producer for The Agenda with Steve Paikin on TVO
Toronto journalist & editor. Contributor to Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, Corporate Knights, Walrus, Spacing. Co-editor: Messy Cities (Coach House, 2025). Author: No Jews Live Here, A Memoir. https://chbooks.com/Books/N/No-Jews-Live-Here.
Passionate about Toronto. Advocate for affordable housing, poverty reduction, and ending homelessness. Raptors fan since the dark ages.
City columnist, contributing to the Toronto Star & writing the award-winning City Hall Watcher newsletter. A lot about Toronto Politics and then some nerd stuff. Humber College prof. (he/him)
BC Minister of Infrastructure. BC NDP MLA for North Vancouver-Lonsdale. A professional engineer and working mom, Bowinn has served North Vancouver since 2017. #bcpoli
Urban planning shit posting, disc golf, assorted other nonsense and garbage. @plannersean on Twitter
Toronto. Vancouver. Safe streets. Strong towns. Next-generation cities and mobility. Progressive politics. Craft beer. Co-founder of betternorthshore.ca. Work: martynschmoll.com
Environmental neuroscientist with the Future Cities Institute exploring the complex interactions between who we are, where we live, and how we function as a society. Speaker. Writer. Mental health advocate. Human. linktr.ee/robinmazumder
Housing, climate, urbanism, transportation, communities consulting. Also Victoria BC City Councillor, CRD Director. Civil discourse and good governance. Pragmatic progressive. PunkthΓ€user fan. My own views only. βοΈβ³yyj π¨π¦
BC Minister for Jobs and Economic Growth
MLA North Delta
Chair, Cabinet Committee on Tariff Response Two-time π¨π¦ Olympian
Coach, Mentor and Proud Dad.
Author, Happy City.
Founder, Happy Cities. But speaking only here for myself!
Design + social trust.
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MP / DeputΓ©, Central Nova π¨π¦ Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship / Ministre de l'Immigration, des RΓ©fugiΓ©s et de la CitoyennetΓ©
Canadaβs leading climate change policy research organization.
climateinstitute.ca
Founder 8 80 Cities and #Cities4Everyone. Equity & sustainability. Worked in over 350 cities. Ran for mayor of Toronto, 2022. Top 100 urbanists (13).