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.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Three-Bedroom Homes Decline Correlated With Fewer Kids
- Three-bedroom homes were the most common type in Ontario in 2016 but have drastically decreased in new construction by 2021.
- Regions building more three-bedroom homes saw rising child populations, while the GTA saw declines in children correlating with fewer such homes.
Zoning Limits Missing Middle Growth
- High rises rarely include three-bedroom units due to building codes and economics.
- Zoning restricts building mid-rise three-to-four story apartments, limiting missing middle housing growth in the GTA.
Owner-Occupied Three-Bedroom Homes Vanish
- Owner-occupied three-bedroom housing stock fell in parts of the GTA due to conversions to rentals and demolitions.
- Older homes get bought and replaced with luxury multi-bedroom mansions priced far beyond middle-class affordability.