The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux
Baby Bust: Where Have All the 3-Bedroom Homes Gone?
Apr 30, 2025
Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt tackle the alarming drop in three-bedroom home construction in Ontario, especially in the GTA. They link this trend to the 'baby bust,' where soaring housing costs deter families from expanding. The dialogue reveals the regulatory hurdles complicating the housing market and stresses the need for policy changes. With a focus on both rental and ownership opportunities, they explore how these dynamics impact young families and contribute to declining birth rates.
24:28
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Quick takeaways
- The significant decline in three-bedroom home construction in Ontario has led to reduced housing affordability for young families.
- Rising home costs are contributing to lower birth rates, as families are increasingly delaying or forgoing childbearing due to financial pressures.
Deep dives
Decline of Three-Bedroom Homes
The housing market in Ontario has witnessed a notable decline in the construction of three-bedroom homes, which were once the most common type of housing. Between 2016 and 2021, out of over 300,000 new homes added, only about 40,000 were three-bedroom units, indicating a significant drop in availability. The effects of this trend are particularly pronounced in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), where the number of children is correlatively decreasing in communities that are not building these essential family homes. The lack of three-bedroom homes has become a pressing issue, as traditionally family-friendly neighborhoods are now struggling to support population growth, particularly among younger families and children.
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