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New Housing Alternatives
@newhousingalt.bsky.social
NHA is a Canada-wide research partnership based at UofT. Bringing together academics & community organizations from across the country, NHA explores policies and community-led alternatives that could transform Canada's inequitable housing system.
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Hello! Please subscribe from our website👇🏾 for insights, and updates on inclusive, community-driven housing. newhousingalternatives.ca New Housing Alternatives is a Canada-wide partnership between academics and communities, dedicated to developing community-led solutions.
New Housing Alternatives
New Housing Alternatives (NHA) is a pan-Canadian research partnership, begun in 2024, to understand the problems with our housing system and to research ways
newhousingalternatives.ca
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
“It very well could be a good start, but my concern is that it’s not going to scale up fast enough. The fiscal commitment is pretty weak … it’s not what I would think of as a generational investment," says CCPA senior economist
@marclee.bsky.social www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/pe...
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Federal budget falls short on housing affordability, experts say
Academics and builders’ associations say the Liberal government has watered down its election pledges
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 13, 2025 at 5:52 PM
New from NHAs' blog: our analysis of Ontario's Bill 60.

Bill 60, as proposed, will make it easier & faster to evict tenants.

We explore 6 proposed changes, showing how they will erode tenants protections & further fuel Ontario's homelessness crisis 👇🧵
newhousingalternatives.ca/ontarios-bil...
Ontario’s Bill 60 Will Make it Easier and Faster for Landlords to Evict Tenants - New Housing Alternatives
Doug Ford's Bill 60 proposes changes to the Residential Tenancies Act that will erode tenant protections and worsen the homelessness crisis.
newhousingalternatives.ca
November 12, 2025 at 5:21 PM
NHA proudly joins 134 organizations across Ontario in demanding that #Bill60 — what we call the "Create Encampments Faster Act" — is repealed.

Read this co-signed to Premier Ford and demand action from Ford and Ontario's municipalities to protect renters: tinyurl.com/StopBill60
ND + EJC - Open Letter on Bill 60
Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building Faster Act, should be called the “Create Encampments Faster” Act. The legislative changes enshrined in Bill 60 will contribute to an escalating homelessness cr...
tinyurl.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Great piece by Ricardo Tranjan, advancing a powerful idea:

"Now that condo prices are down, Ottawa should buy them in bulk"

Condo investors should be given "a way out, not a bail out".

Non-profits & coops should be given this expanding stock to rent out.

www.theglobeandmail.com/business/com...
Opinion: Now that condo prices are down, Ottawa should buy them in bulk
The measure would have to be communicated as a one-off; the government wouldn’t want to encourage new condo developments
www.theglobeandmail.com
November 5, 2025 at 8:07 PM
We're thrilled to be launching the first episode of our New Housing Alternatives podcast!

Join us as we speak with researchers, builders, & activists to uncover the roots of Canada's housing crisis, and the community-led solutions we can build on now.

share.transistor.fm/s/4b2bd35b
Defining Affordable Housing | New Housing Alternatives | Episode 1
Dive into the complexities of affordable housing in Canada with this episode, which unpacks the terminology, challenges, and policy debates shaping the nation’s housing landscape. Through expert inter...
share.transistor.fm
October 20, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Today, 7pm at U of T!

Join us for a panel discussion and public launch of the Housing Commons Research Centre, featuring leaders from the co-op and community land trust movements and mutual aid networks.

RSVP here👇
www.eventbrite.com/e/reimaginin...
Reimagining Housing as a Commons
Introducing the Housing Commons Research Centre, a virtual space dedicated to advancing community-led housing in Canada and beyond.
www.eventbrite.com
October 17, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Exciting to see the City of Toronto moving forward with its public developer model!

The City is set to complete its 1st of 5 projects as a public developer by next fall, building 42 new affordable & supportive homes operated by Parkdale Activity & Recreation Centre.

www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Affordable housing units in Parkdale set to be built by fall 2026: Mayor Chow | CBC News
The city’s new rent-geared-to-income supportive housing units in Parkdale will now be completed by the fall of 2026, Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow announced Friday.
www.cbc.ca
October 13, 2025 at 5:47 PM
Join us 7pm next Friday, Oct 17 at U of T!

This public panel considers how to build the movement for community-led housing across Canada.

It also launches NHA's Housing Commons Research Centre, a new interactive platform for housing researchers & practitioners.

www.eventbrite.com/e/reimaginin...
Reimagining Housing as a Commons
Introducing the Housing Commons Research Centre, a virtual space dedicated to advancing community-led housing in Canada and beyond.
www.eventbrite.com
October 10, 2025 at 3:53 PM
We're excited to have awarded our first annual round of research funding to 8 important new projects!

Each will be conducted by & about our partners, providing opportunities to compare evolving strategies to protect & expand access to affordable housing.

newhousingalternatives.ca/nha-awards-f...
NHA Awards Funding to Eight New Projects Researching Community-led Housing Alternatives - New Housing Alternatives
NHA is excited to announce that we have awarded our first annual round of research funding to eight important new projects!
newhousingalternatives.ca
September 25, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
The federal government recently launched Build Canada Homes, signalling renewed leadership on affordable housing. While this is a promising start, to truly tackle the housing and homelessness crisis, the agency must prioritize those in greatest housing need. Read our analysis: buff.ly/VV4e0Hs
September 22, 2025 at 4:24 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
Great new piece by my @metropolitiques.bsky.social colleague @docdantzler.bsky.social Visible Minorities, Visible Risk: Toronto’s Unequal Eviction (...) - Metropolitics url:https://metropolitics.org/Visible-Minorities-Visible-Risk-Toronto-s-Unequal-Eviction-Burden.html
September 18, 2025 at 7:28 PM
Across Canada, more & more neighbourhoods are launching Community Land Trusts.

45 CLTs now exist, with almost 2/3s launched since 2019.

"A Case for CLTs in Canada" explains how this model creates permanently affordable homes, and calls for large scale investment.
bsh.ubc.ca/a-case-for-c...
A Case for Community Land Trusts in Canada: A Summary of Promising Community Practices and Public Policy Options
BSH's report, A Case for Community Land Trusts in Canada, not only outlines key the benefits of CLTs, but offers policy recommendations to structurally shift the housing market towards a more affordab...
bsh.ubc.ca
September 16, 2025 at 4:23 PM
ICYMI, this Toronto Star article explores recent debates over financial landlords.

In it, NHA partner Martine August critiques new research by CMHC, showing other studies more robustly demonstrate financial firms are making rental housing less affordable.

www.pressreader.com/canada/toron...
PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions
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September 16, 2025 at 3:34 PM
Check out this great new report by @policyalternatives.ca (CCPA).

It reflects on the history of the West Broadway Community Land Trust, a pioneering CLT in Winnipeg.

www.policyalternatives.ca/news-researc...
Looking back at the West Broadway Community Land Trust - CCPA
This research looks back at the West Broadway Community Land Trust in Winnipeg to learn lessons for the future.
www.policyalternatives.ca
September 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
The Bundling Assets lab, funded by CMHC & co-run w/ SHS Inc, looks at how nonmarket actors can collaborate to loan equity, develop sites & share management while maintaining org. autonomy. Join us for the launch of the 1st report, based on lessons from 3 practices us06web.zoom.us/webi...
August 26, 2025 at 8:30 PM
27 housing experts call on BC to reassess recent housing bills they say are📈 land values, speculation & "the wrong kind of supply" (“small, very expensive condos…that replace older affordable rental”).

They call for taxes “to manage land prices” & more non-market housing.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
B.C. housing experts argue in open letter that more supply alone will not solve crisis | CBC News
A number of B.C. urban planners and housing professors are arguing in an open letter to the provincial government that it should stop prioritizing adding more housing supply, and instead focus on addi...
www.cbc.ca
August 20, 2025 at 2:53 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
A great pleasure to have collaborated with so many experienced + established practitioners & researchers in planning, design, architecture, and development on this memo "Advancing Housing Affordability Through Bold, Evidence-Based Policy"

#cdnpoli #bcpoli #vanpoli #vanre

thetyee.ca/Opinion/2025...
Memo to Carney and Robertson on Fixing Housing | The Tyee
Noted BC urban experts pen an open letter with six musts for making homes affordable in Canada.
thetyee.ca
August 18, 2025 at 5:55 PM
Build Canada Homes update:

A 6-page guide, released Aug 14 by Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities Canada, "sets out an initial vision", including this summary table.

You can send feedback until Aug 29:
bchengagement-mobilisationmc@infc.gc.ca

housing-infrastructure.canada.ca/alt-format/p...
August 18, 2025 at 6:06 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
The Rentals.ca Summer 2025 #Renter Survey is out, and it doesn't look good for young Canadians. Nearly 50% are spending over half their income on rent, and many have been looking for suitable alternatives for over a year.

buff.ly/x9QVvKN
Summer 2025 Renter Survey: What Canadians Are Spending, Prioritizing, and Searching For
Rentals.ca’s latest Renter Preference Survey for Summer 2025 reveals how much Canadians are spending on rent, what amenities they value most, and how their rental priorities differ by age, city, and…
rentals.ca
August 18, 2025 at 2:56 PM
A few huge financial firms are buying up Toronto's purpose-built rental, 📈from 14% to 24% of all units 2010-21.

Starlight & CAPREIT alone own almost half.

They're aggressively filing evictions at rates 2.5X >than single-building owners & 1.5X >than corporate chains.
www.thestar.com/real-estate/...
Financial firms file for eviction more than any other Toronto landlord, new research finds
The research looked at more than 200,000 evictions and found financial firms pursue evictions at a rate 1.5 times higher than chain landlords and 2.5 times more than single-building landlords.
www.thestar.com
August 15, 2025 at 11:33 AM
Don't miss this sharp rebuttal to CMHC’s latest article, “Accelerating rental supply: balancing development and tenant protection”.

“A tone-deaf defense of financialized housing that ignores mounting evidence of systemic tenant displacement” by REITs & other investors.

hart.ubc.ca/blog/cmhcs-m...
CMHC's Misguided Rental Policy Analysis: A Critical Response  | Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART)
hart.ubc.ca
August 13, 2025 at 10:16 PM
Check out this great piece tracking tenant advocates' longstanding efforts to make the Province of Ontario expand access to air conditioning for renters.

As heat waves grow hotter & more frequent, AC "is not a luxury, it's a necessity".

thepointer.com/article/2025...
Seniors, renters without AC most vulnerable during continuous heatwaves
Seniors, renters without AC most vulnerable during continuous heatwaves Seniors, renters without AC most vulnerable during continuous heatwaves
thepointer.com
August 12, 2025 at 7:22 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
New BSH research, by @seangrisdale.bsky.social, analyzing 385,000+ eviction filings in the GTA (2010-2021) reveals how financialized landlords are systematically undermining housing security & exacerbating inequalities across the region.

Read the full report: buff.ly/ZY6GQYS
(Thread 1/6)
Filling the Gaps: An Analysis of Evictions Filing in the Greater Toronto Area from 2010-2021
A new report from BSH analyzes evictions filings to better understand the impact of housing financialization on housing security. The research, which focuses on the GTA, reveals that treating…
buff.ly
August 11, 2025 at 7:33 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
My new article with Ashley Nickels, Brooke Moeller, Emeline Renz, & Miles Davis-Matthews in @urbanaffairsreview.bsky.social explores how nonprofit developers navigate narratives of gentrification in a changing mid-size city (Grand Rapids, MI). Check it out here…

journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
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journals.sagepub.com
August 2, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Reposted by New Housing Alternatives
A series of cascading policy failures have made student housing in the capital region particularly precarious and expensive.
The Ottawa region’s student housing is a disaster - CCPA
Ottawa is in the midst of a student housing crisis that, despite its severity, is rendered nearly invisible in public discourse. While media coverage often hovers over Toronto’s market volatility or V...
www.policyalternatives.ca
August 5, 2025 at 5:50 PM