The Decibel
Why the condo bubble burst could lead to better housing artwork

Why the condo bubble burst could lead to better housing

The Decibel
23:44
Play episode

Show notes

For more than a decade, Canada’s condo boom was on. Investors, at home and abroad, drove the craze over reselling preconstruction units. Rents skyrocketed, all while the condos themselves shrank in size. Today, the bubble has burst and the housing crisis continues. New condo sales in markets like Toronto and Hamilton are at 35-year lows and prices are driving potential homebuyers out of the city core. Is this actually an opportunity for developers to course correct to find “the missing middle?” Erica Alini, personal economics reporter for The Globe, explains why shoebox condos have been so appealing for North American developers, why the market for them has cratered and what needs to change to build cities with higher density at a liveable scale. Questions? Comments? Ideas? E-mail us at thedecibel@globeandmail.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More from this show

More
  1. Why people are taking vacations to pick up new skills

    The demands of modern life seem to grow every day, leaving little time for people to pursue hobbies. Many Canadians are leaving vacation time unused. In light of this, a growing nu…

    18:40
  2. Navigating Canada’s fertility industry

    A growing number of Canadians are struggling with fertility, and the business helping people make babies is booming. The global fertility services market was valued at more than $2…

    30:12
  3. At its core, the Canada-U.S. trade dispute is about autos

    The auto sector is at the heart of trade discussions between Canada and the U.S. Canada’s auto sector has been hit hard over the past year with tariffs from U.S. President Donald…

    24:09
  4. Canada hits U.S. with retaliatory tariffs

    The Canada-U.S. trade war is in full effect. On Tuesday, the federal government announced retaliatory tariffs against the United States. U.S. steel, seafood, dishwashers, forks, a…

    25:57
  5. Canadian businesses prepare for long-haul trade war

    After trade talks broke down between Ottawa and Washington, U.S. President Donald Trump implemented 50-per-cent tariffs on $28-billion dollars worth of Canadian goods. Over the wee…

    27:48
  6. Why Canada’s biggest paid plasma collector has paused operations

    Plasma is the golden fluid part of the blood and it’s used to make life-saving medications for people with immune deficiencies. In Canada, plasma donors were historically volunteer…

    24:37
Now Playing
Why the condo bubble burst could lead to better housing — The Decibel | Josplay Music