Hub Podcasts
Can the Liberals build their way out of Canada's housing crisis?
May 9, 2025
Beau Jarvis, CEO of Wesgroup Properties, and Brad Jones, Chief Development Officer at Wesgroup, dive deep into Canada's housing crisis. They analyze the Liberal government's development plans and the inefficiencies faced in construction, particularly with union labor. Insights into how immigration impacts housing demand are shared, alongside a look at the evolving rental landscape and the need for affordable housing options. The discussion also emphasizes reviving historical programs to solve modern housing challenges.
28:25
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Quick takeaways
- The key challenge in Canada's housing crisis lies in high delivery costs and construction complexities rather than a lack of supply.
- Increased reliance on development charges by municipalities complicates housing affordability by significantly raising overall construction costs for developers.
Deep dives
Reframing the Housing Crisis
The current discussion around housing should shift from a crisis of affordability to a crisis of delivery costs. Bo Jarvis emphasizes that the challenges faced in providing housing stem primarily from the expensive and complex processes involved in construction rather than from a lack of supply. He notes that the private sector successfully delivers 95% of housing in Canada and advocates for enabling private developers rather than having the government enter the housing market as a builder. This perspective argues that government involvement could lead to inefficiencies and increased costs without effectively resolving the underlying issues.
