Preserving Low‑Rent Housing
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Preserving Low‑Rent Housing
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About this listen
In this episode of New Housing Alternatives, hosts Cherise Burda and Ren Thomas speak with housing policy expert Steve Pomeroy about Canada’s rapid loss of affordable rental housing, often cited as 11 affordable units lost for every 1 built, with even higher ratios in cities like Ottawa and Waterloo.
We cover:
- What it actually means to “lose” an affordable unit (demolition vs. rent inflation)
- How population growth, immigration, and homeownership barriers are driving rental demand
- The role of rent control and vacancy decontrol in accelerating rent hikes
- The growing impact of financialization and large‑scale investors
- Why non‑profit acquisitions, Rental Protection Funds, and rent benefits are key tools to preserve and expand non‑market housing
The conversation digs into policy options for protecting existing low‑rent units, improving the viability of the non‑market sector, and designing smarter, more efficient affordability supports.
New Housing Alternatives is made possible with the support of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Explore our Vision & Objectives and Research Clusters & Projects, and subscribe to our blog at the link below:
https://newhousingalternatives.ca/blog/