Experts say Ottawa’s role in housing sector has grown (Richard Raycraft · CBC News)

  • FarceMultiplier@lemmy.ca
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    1 year ago

    Close-to-cause solutions have to start at municipalities. Yes, provinces and federal government can help, but municipalities can solve things quicker.

    If I had full control in a large city:

    • Primary mass transit would be expanded to increase the feasible housing areas
    • Building permit offices and zoning authorities would get a complete overhaul, drastically increasing multi-unit housing in preference to single-family dwellings
    • A graduated zoning system would be put in place so multi-unit housing was radically increased near mass transit (near 100% of permits). If people want single-family homes, they would have to live further away from transit.
    • Downtown cores would increase pedestrian-only areas
    • Tax rates for single-family homes would be increased substantially while condos and townhomes would be seriously reduced.

    Basically, make single-family homes less appealing for a variety of reasons.

    • voluble@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Primary mass transit would be expanded to increase the feasible housing areas

      Downtown cores would increase pedestrian-only areas

      My city politicians are really excited and animated about these exact topics, however I’ll be dead by the time they’re completed.

    • EhForumUser@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Yes, provinces and federal government can help, but municipalities can solve things quicker.

      Municipalities are a creation of the province. Everything municipalities can do, so can the province. With that, the province can actually get things done quicker here as they can force the changes across the entire province at the same time.

      Primary mass transit would be expanded to increase the feasible housing areas

      It’s pretty clear that access to mass transit increases the value of homes, sharply. Removing access to mass transit would be the quickest way to see housing nosedive back to affordable levels. Housing has become much more expensive because living in them has improved dramatically over the past couple of decades. Expansion and advancement of mass transit systems is one of features that has contributed to that improved livability. It is a truism that desirable things are more expensive than undesirable things.