Nathan Lauster
@lausterna.bsky.social
UBC sociologist, demographer, housing & urban regulation scholar, author, immigrant, blogs at https://homefreesociology.com/
More details on the terrible fire in Hong Kong, really converging on the conditions created by the renovation work being done.
Foam panels blocking views & collapsed scaffolding blocking exits combined with elderly residents in accounting for awful death toll. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Foam panels blocking views & collapsed scaffolding blocking exits combined with elderly residents in accounting for awful death toll. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Officials Had Been Warned for Over a Year Before Hong Kong Fire
www.nytimes.com
November 28, 2025 at 7:07 PM
More details on the terrible fire in Hong Kong, really converging on the conditions created by the renovation work being done.
Foam panels blocking views & collapsed scaffolding blocking exits combined with elderly residents in accounting for awful death toll. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Foam panels blocking views & collapsed scaffolding blocking exits combined with elderly residents in accounting for awful death toll. www.nytimes.com/2025/11/28/w...
Fun new Vacancy Chain study from my UBC colleague Limin Fang (& others).
Tracks what new vacancies open up elsewhere from the people moving into a new condominium building containing 202 market-rate and 310 affordable units from inclusionary zoning?
Tracks what new vacancies open up elsewhere from the people moving into a new condominium building containing 202 market-rate and 310 affordable units from inclusionary zoning?
Interesting new working paper that studies chains of movers after the construction of a new apartment building in Honolulu.
Paper finds that the project resulted in the opening up other, lower cost, housing on the island, benefiting the housing market overall.
Paper finds that the project resulted in the opening up other, lower cost, housing on the island, benefiting the housing market overall.
uhero.hawaii.edu
November 28, 2025 at 5:20 PM
Fun new Vacancy Chain study from my UBC colleague Limin Fang (& others).
Tracks what new vacancies open up elsewhere from the people moving into a new condominium building containing 202 market-rate and 310 affordable units from inclusionary zoning?
Tracks what new vacancies open up elsewhere from the people moving into a new condominium building containing 202 market-rate and 310 affordable units from inclusionary zoning?
Fascinating!
Informal housing is one solution to housing shortage & we've got a lot of it in Canada, but when it looks like this it tends to get shut down quick.
Not surprisingly, the "barn permit" one looks like it's on Agricultural Reserve Land...
Informal housing is one solution to housing shortage & we've got a lot of it in Canada, but when it looks like this it tends to get shut down quick.
Not surprisingly, the "barn permit" one looks like it's on Agricultural Reserve Land...
November 28, 2025 at 6:35 AM
Fascinating!
Informal housing is one solution to housing shortage & we've got a lot of it in Canada, but when it looks like this it tends to get shut down quick.
Not surprisingly, the "barn permit" one looks like it's on Agricultural Reserve Land...
Informal housing is one solution to housing shortage & we've got a lot of it in Canada, but when it looks like this it tends to get shut down quick.
Not surprisingly, the "barn permit" one looks like it's on Agricultural Reserve Land...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
The Ottawa-Alberta MOU is nothing more than a pipedream - Coastal First Nations
"We have zero interest in co-ownership or economic benefits of a project that has the potential to destroy our way of life and everything we have built on the coast," says Heiltsuk Nation elected Chief Marilyn Slett
"We have zero interest in co-ownership or economic benefits of a project that has the potential to destroy our way of life and everything we have built on the coast," says Heiltsuk Nation elected Chief Marilyn Slett
November 27, 2025 at 6:46 PM
The Ottawa-Alberta MOU is nothing more than a pipedream - Coastal First Nations
"We have zero interest in co-ownership or economic benefits of a project that has the potential to destroy our way of life and everything we have built on the coast," says Heiltsuk Nation elected Chief Marilyn Slett
"We have zero interest in co-ownership or economic benefits of a project that has the potential to destroy our way of life and everything we have built on the coast," says Heiltsuk Nation elected Chief Marilyn Slett
So it's now US policy to export hate against "people of a migration background" on the basis of sensationalizing crime (which immigrants are statistically less likely to commit).
Be right back. Gonna add "person of a migration background" to the bio.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Be right back. Gonna add "person of a migration background" to the bio.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
U.S. to Press Europe and Other Allies on ‘Mass Migration,’ Document Says
www.nytimes.com
November 27, 2025 at 5:56 PM
So it's now US policy to export hate against "people of a migration background" on the basis of sensationalizing crime (which immigrants are statistically less likely to commit).
Be right back. Gonna add "person of a migration background" to the bio.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Be right back. Gonna add "person of a migration background" to the bio.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/26/u...
Pretty interesting piece on expanding expropriation powers for high-speed rail.
The "right of first refusal" & "prohibition on work" bit meant to prevent speculation are worth noting (Act suggests each also attached to compensation).
Act: www.parl.ca/DocumentView...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
The "right of first refusal" & "prohibition on work" bit meant to prevent speculation are worth noting (Act suggests each also attached to compensation).
Act: www.parl.ca/DocumentView...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Critics worry about Liberal plan to fast-track high-speed rail | CBC News
In an effort to halve the approval time for Canada’s new high-speed rail network, the Liberal government is streamlining how it expropriates land in a way that some say could compromise property right...
www.cbc.ca
November 26, 2025 at 8:00 PM
Pretty interesting piece on expanding expropriation powers for high-speed rail.
The "right of first refusal" & "prohibition on work" bit meant to prevent speculation are worth noting (Act suggests each also attached to compensation).
Act: www.parl.ca/DocumentView...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
The "right of first refusal" & "prohibition on work" bit meant to prevent speculation are worth noting (Act suggests each also attached to compensation).
Act: www.parl.ca/DocumentView...
www.cbc.ca/news/politic...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
you should support liberal currents!
November 26, 2025 at 4:02 PM
you should support liberal currents!
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
approved despite over 600 speakers signing up to speak to the budget, with all but a tiny number strongly opposed, and following a public engagement survey that found the majority of respondents supported a property tax increase to avoid cuts.
Vancouver's 2026 draft budget has PASSED.
Approved on a 7-4 vote on party lines, with ABC in favour and councillors Fry/Bligh/Orr/Maloney opposed.
Property tax freeze, $50 million more for VPD, and cuts to Arts, Culture, Planning and Sustainability departments, among others.
Full story to come.
Approved on a 7-4 vote on party lines, with ABC in favour and councillors Fry/Bligh/Orr/Maloney opposed.
Property tax freeze, $50 million more for VPD, and cuts to Arts, Culture, Planning and Sustainability departments, among others.
Full story to come.
November 25, 2025 at 10:22 PM
approved despite over 600 speakers signing up to speak to the budget, with all but a tiny number strongly opposed, and following a public engagement survey that found the majority of respondents supported a property tax increase to avoid cuts.
Earlier today while drinking my coffee, was just thinking we need more discussion of aesthetics in roots of NIMBYism.
Lo and behold, by 1pm the scholars of Bluesky deliver!
Lots to like in this paper, even if I'm bound (as sociologist) to insist there is at least SOME accounting for taste. Neat!
Lo and behold, by 1pm the scholars of Bluesky deliver!
Lots to like in this paper, even if I'm bound (as sociologist) to insist there is at least SOME accounting for taste. Neat!
NEW PAPER w/ @cselmendorf.bsky.social & @jkalla.bsky.social:
An under-appreciated reason why voters oppose dense new housing, especially in less-dense neighborhoods: they think it looks ugly and want to prevent that, even in other neighborhoods.
Some of what we think is NIMBYism might not be!
An under-appreciated reason why voters oppose dense new housing, especially in less-dense neighborhoods: they think it looks ugly and want to prevent that, even in other neighborhoods.
Some of what we think is NIMBYism might not be!
November 25, 2025 at 9:19 PM
Earlier today while drinking my coffee, was just thinking we need more discussion of aesthetics in roots of NIMBYism.
Lo and behold, by 1pm the scholars of Bluesky deliver!
Lots to like in this paper, even if I'm bound (as sociologist) to insist there is at least SOME accounting for taste. Neat!
Lo and behold, by 1pm the scholars of Bluesky deliver!
Lots to like in this paper, even if I'm bound (as sociologist) to insist there is at least SOME accounting for taste. Neat!
November sunrise before the rain
November 24, 2025 at 9:54 PM
November sunrise before the rain
Pity the historians of the future, stuck repeating:
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
NEW: Judge Currie finds that Lindsay Halligan was UNLAWFULLY APPOINTED and dismisses the James Comey and Letitia James indictments without prejudice. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Pity the historians of the future, stuck repeating:
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
Past the rage-inducing headline this is interesting both for the usual reasons (genuine difficultly to assessing high-value, rare-transaction properties & lots of benefit to owners' strategic valuation) & for the specific case (Onni's got a big property on Granville in Shaughnessy 👀)
November 21, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Past the rage-inducing headline this is interesting both for the usual reasons (genuine difficultly to assessing high-value, rare-transaction properties & lots of benefit to owners' strategic valuation) & for the specific case (Onni's got a big property on Granville in Shaughnessy 👀)
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
I think this is great!
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Province says new B.C. digital tool intends to speed up prefab housing approvals, construction | CBC News
The program, called Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH), is an online building tool that uses standardized designed and pre-fabricated building blocks to help design three- to six-storey...
www.cbc.ca
November 21, 2025 at 1:48 AM
I think this is great!
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
Great discussion that has been going on for serval days now up and down this thread and in the quotes (up and down). Metrics matter, and some of our main metrics in the housing discourse simply aren't responsive to the issues: Standard affordability metrics suffer from massive collider bias.
> What the “objective evidence” shows is that the share of income dedicated to housing is higher than before
???
No, it does not. www.bls.gov/news.release...
???
No, it does not. www.bls.gov/news.release...
November 20, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Great discussion that has been going on for serval days now up and down this thread and in the quotes (up and down). Metrics matter, and some of our main metrics in the housing discourse simply aren't responsive to the issues: Standard affordability metrics suffer from massive collider bias.
Fun piece on the history and prospects for use of the Builder's Remedy as a means of adding housing in California.
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
The Housing Strategy That Has California NIMBYs in a Corner
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Fun piece on the history and prospects for use of the Builder's Remedy as a means of adding housing in California.
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Seems Bad.
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
$10M deal gives Winnipeg developer control of land from First Nation he advised | CBC News
A former golf course north of Winnipeg purchased with money Peguis First Nation received as reparation for broken treaty promises is now mostly in the hands of a property developer who used to advise ...
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Seems Bad.
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
"Homeowners don’t appreciate or don’t understand that we are living in a much riskier world than we were 25 years ago."
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Rising Home Insurance Premiums Are Eating Into Home Values in Disaster-Prone Areas (Gift Article)
Changes in the insurance market have started to affect home prices in the most disaster-prone areas, new research finds, pushing some homeowners’ finances to the breaking point.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
"Homeowners don’t appreciate or don’t understand that we are living in a much riskier world than we were 25 years ago."
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
AI presents a fundamental threat to our ability to use polls to assess public opinion. Bad actors who are able to infiltrate panels can flip close election polls for less than the cost of a Starbucks coffee. Models will also infer and confirm hypotheses in experiments. Current quality checks fail
November 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
AI presents a fundamental threat to our ability to use polls to assess public opinion. Bad actors who are able to infiltrate panels can flip close election polls for less than the cost of a Starbucks coffee. Models will also infer and confirm hypotheses in experiments. Current quality checks fail
Hey, neat!
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
OneCity has its first mayoral candidate for their primary: William Azaroff, the CEO of Brightside Community Homes Foundation, and board member of The Tyee, VIFF, and a bunch of other community endeavours.
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
William on Instagram: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader and city builder who knows how to bring peo...
5 likes, 0 comments - williamforvancouver on November 17, 2025: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader a...
www.instagram.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Hey, neat!
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
"Many survivors are constantly choosing between being safe and being housed." (from linked report)
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Report reveals how domestic abusers weaponize B.C.'s housing crisis, calls for more legal aid | CBC News
A legal group's interviews with survivors of intimate partner violence show that many stay in abusive relationships because they can't find affordable housing. Following the interviews, a report from ...
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
"Many survivors are constantly choosing between being safe and being housed." (from linked report)
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
November 16, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
"[W]hile the Islands Trust is aware of the many illegal dwellings on the island, if there are no environmental and health concerns, the occupants are left alone due to the housing crunch."
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Illegal housing essential to keep Salt Spring Island businesses open, employers say | CBC News
Many services on Salt Spring Island are experiencing a labour shortage, driven by a lack of housing workers can afford.
It’s pushed businesses around the island to offer housing for workers in order t...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 7:36 PM
"[W]hile the Islands Trust is aware of the many illegal dwellings on the island, if there are no environmental and health concerns, the occupants are left alone due to the housing crunch."
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Illegal housing essential to keep Salt Spring Island businesses open, employers say | CBC News
Many services on Salt Spring Island are experiencing a labour shortage, driven by a lack of housing workers can afford.
It’s pushed businesses around the island to offer housing for workers in order t...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...