Alex Beheshti
@alexbeheshti.bsky.social
Urban Planner and Land Economist.
Senior Research Associate at Missing Middle Initiative
Senior Research Associate at Missing Middle Initiative
With the budget out it is clear the feds are off tune on housing, again. No minister could play the LPC policy song book well, but Robertson is making ears bleed. If you're a Liberal this article should keep you up at night because the warnings it holds are hard to ignore.
November 24, 2025 at 7:45 PM
With the budget out it is clear the feds are off tune on housing, again. No minister could play the LPC policy song book well, but Robertson is making ears bleed. If you're a Liberal this article should keep you up at night because the warnings it holds are hard to ignore.
I guess we're at the part of the business cycle where rental providers are less greedy (said very sarcastically).
November 9, 2025 at 11:24 PM
I guess we're at the part of the business cycle where rental providers are less greedy (said very sarcastically).
Here is another way to look at the housing disaster
November 6, 2025 at 8:41 PM
Here is another way to look at the housing disaster
The province just lowered its housing forecast again in the Fall Economic Statement (FES). There will be 17,000 fewer homes by 2028, leaving Ontario 390,000 homes short of its goal.
The crisis isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating because all levels of gov still can't act with cohesion or conviction.
The crisis isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating because all levels of gov still can't act with cohesion or conviction.
November 6, 2025 at 8:22 PM
The province just lowered its housing forecast again in the Fall Economic Statement (FES). There will be 17,000 fewer homes by 2028, leaving Ontario 390,000 homes short of its goal.
The crisis isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating because all levels of gov still can't act with cohesion or conviction.
The crisis isn’t slowing. It’s accelerating because all levels of gov still can't act with cohesion or conviction.
My Spidey Senses are tingling that something is going down tomorrow related to housing.
October 22, 2025 at 5:18 PM
My Spidey Senses are tingling that something is going down tomorrow related to housing.
Maybe it's just me but I feel like trying to get data from the province has never been worse and the quality of the data you can get is abysmal.
How have only half of municipalities submitted their financial information returns (FIR) when they were due back at the end of May but its October.
How have only half of municipalities submitted their financial information returns (FIR) when they were due back at the end of May but its October.
October 17, 2025 at 12:08 AM
Maybe it's just me but I feel like trying to get data from the province has never been worse and the quality of the data you can get is abysmal.
How have only half of municipalities submitted their financial information returns (FIR) when they were due back at the end of May but its October.
How have only half of municipalities submitted their financial information returns (FIR) when they were due back at the end of May but its October.
It's not that boomers are any more nimby than any other generation, it's that they have more time than any other generation to spend on opposing housing.
Just look at the nimbys of a new rental project downtown Toronto, or 5 new single-family homes in Aurora - lots of abundance in grey hairs.
Just look at the nimbys of a new rental project downtown Toronto, or 5 new single-family homes in Aurora - lots of abundance in grey hairs.
October 7, 2025 at 3:38 PM
It's not that boomers are any more nimby than any other generation, it's that they have more time than any other generation to spend on opposing housing.
Just look at the nimbys of a new rental project downtown Toronto, or 5 new single-family homes in Aurora - lots of abundance in grey hairs.
Just look at the nimbys of a new rental project downtown Toronto, or 5 new single-family homes in Aurora - lots of abundance in grey hairs.
*When* the city wins this case, they better be demanding costs. Historically the city avoids doing this, but screw that, I'm so sick of this as a taxpayer.
If the case is found frivolous, then we the taxpayers should get every dime back as is the right to ask for in court.
If the case is found frivolous, then we the taxpayers should get every dime back as is the right to ask for in court.
October 6, 2025 at 7:42 PM
*When* the city wins this case, they better be demanding costs. Historically the city avoids doing this, but screw that, I'm so sick of this as a taxpayer.
If the case is found frivolous, then we the taxpayers should get every dime back as is the right to ask for in court.
If the case is found frivolous, then we the taxpayers should get every dime back as is the right to ask for in court.
Had to give away my books, comics, and board games today, but I'll never give up my starship collection.
That's the sane rationale choice, right?
That's the sane rationale choice, right?
October 4, 2025 at 6:51 PM
Had to give away my books, comics, and board games today, but I'll never give up my starship collection.
That's the sane rationale choice, right?
That's the sane rationale choice, right?
We already have vacant homes taxes in our most chronically unaffordable cities like Toronto and Vancouver, but they've done very little.
Why, because "millions of vacant homes" is a bad misinterpretation of census data akin to a hoax.
The 🍾 socialist left is not serious about housing.
Why, because "millions of vacant homes" is a bad misinterpretation of census data akin to a hoax.
The 🍾 socialist left is not serious about housing.
September 25, 2025 at 12:39 PM
We already have vacant homes taxes in our most chronically unaffordable cities like Toronto and Vancouver, but they've done very little.
Why, because "millions of vacant homes" is a bad misinterpretation of census data akin to a hoax.
The 🍾 socialist left is not serious about housing.
Why, because "millions of vacant homes" is a bad misinterpretation of census data akin to a hoax.
The 🍾 socialist left is not serious about housing.
Doing some research on developers charges and found this treasure in a news article from 1999.
Adjusted for inflation:
Vaughan $34,300
Richmond Hill $32,300...
Toronto $10,250
Ill let you all compare them to their actuals todays, but its clear that DC inflation has been astronomical.
Adjusted for inflation:
Vaughan $34,300
Richmond Hill $32,300...
Toronto $10,250
Ill let you all compare them to their actuals todays, but its clear that DC inflation has been astronomical.
September 19, 2025 at 8:42 PM
Doing some research on developers charges and found this treasure in a news article from 1999.
Adjusted for inflation:
Vaughan $34,300
Richmond Hill $32,300...
Toronto $10,250
Ill let you all compare them to their actuals todays, but its clear that DC inflation has been astronomical.
Adjusted for inflation:
Vaughan $34,300
Richmond Hill $32,300...
Toronto $10,250
Ill let you all compare them to their actuals todays, but its clear that DC inflation has been astronomical.
Jens and company cover this in the paper.
You can see some of the discussion in the screenshot, but for a more holistic understanding I would recommend reading the paper.
There are many points the screenshot doesn't cover. For example, other studies found that upzoning leads to more living space.
You can see some of the discussion in the screenshot, but for a more holistic understanding I would recommend reading the paper.
There are many points the screenshot doesn't cover. For example, other studies found that upzoning leads to more living space.
September 2, 2025 at 11:26 PM
Jens and company cover this in the paper.
You can see some of the discussion in the screenshot, but for a more holistic understanding I would recommend reading the paper.
There are many points the screenshot doesn't cover. For example, other studies found that upzoning leads to more living space.
You can see some of the discussion in the screenshot, but for a more holistic understanding I would recommend reading the paper.
There are many points the screenshot doesn't cover. For example, other studies found that upzoning leads to more living space.
Whenever they do another play about trying to do things in Toronto I hope this lemonade stand is a character.
August 19, 2025 at 1:39 PM
Whenever they do another play about trying to do things in Toronto I hope this lemonade stand is a character.
Municipalities are approving zoning applications, but putting a "hold" (H) on them. In planning, holds have traditionally rarely been used, but according to the Toronto's own stats, the use of them has gone up considerably around the time we see cities start to "improve" their timelines.
11/15
11/15
July 25, 2025 at 3:25 PM
Municipalities are approving zoning applications, but putting a "hold" (H) on them. In planning, holds have traditionally rarely been used, but according to the Toronto's own stats, the use of them has gone up considerably around the time we see cities start to "improve" their timelines.
11/15
11/15
June 23, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This goes to show that what you do, or don't do, in this life matters.
June 23, 2025 at 2:50 PM
This goes to show that what you do, or don't do, in this life matters.
Always found this Sustainable Sask ad amusing. The photo of homes encroaching on farmland would ruffle Ontarian environmentalists’ feathers to say the least.
What's instructive with this image is that stopping sprawl in Ontario by pushing people to Sask just relocates the issue, not solves it.
What's instructive with this image is that stopping sprawl in Ontario by pushing people to Sask just relocates the issue, not solves it.
June 5, 2025 at 1:45 PM
Always found this Sustainable Sask ad amusing. The photo of homes encroaching on farmland would ruffle Ontarian environmentalists’ feathers to say the least.
What's instructive with this image is that stopping sprawl in Ontario by pushing people to Sask just relocates the issue, not solves it.
What's instructive with this image is that stopping sprawl in Ontario by pushing people to Sask just relocates the issue, not solves it.
If we zoom in on the gap between the two previous lines, we see the situation getting progressively worse. The deficit in housing at the end of 2025 is expected to be about 150k homes, by 2028, it reaches around 433k.
May 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
If we zoom in on the gap between the two previous lines, we see the situation getting progressively worse. The deficit in housing at the end of 2025 is expected to be about 150k homes, by 2028, it reaches around 433k.
Budget 2025 only forecasts to 2028, so we can only look at the province's 1.5 million goal to that year.
As you can see, a huge gap quickly builds. This is a grim picture for anyone who was hoping that the curb on housing was shifting
As you can see, a huge gap quickly builds. This is a grim picture for anyone who was hoping that the curb on housing was shifting
May 16, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Budget 2025 only forecasts to 2028, so we can only look at the province's 1.5 million goal to that year.
As you can see, a huge gap quickly builds. This is a grim picture for anyone who was hoping that the curb on housing was shifting
As you can see, a huge gap quickly builds. This is a grim picture for anyone who was hoping that the curb on housing was shifting
What I see in Google maps from Canada is hilarious.
Can someone in Mexico show us what they see?
Can someone in Mexico show us what they see?
February 11, 2025 at 1:25 AM
What I see in Google maps from Canada is hilarious.
Can someone in Mexico show us what they see?
Can someone in Mexico show us what they see?
With friends like these...
Anyway, its time for @seanfraser.bsky.social to release the HAF agreements so we can see if what Mayor Chow says is true (I know it's not).
This is what happens when a program has 0 transparency.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
Anyway, its time for @seanfraser.bsky.social to release the HAF agreements so we can see if what Mayor Chow says is true (I know it's not).
This is what happens when a program has 0 transparency.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
November 13, 2024 at 11:47 PM
With friends like these...
Anyway, its time for @seanfraser.bsky.social to release the HAF agreements so we can see if what Mayor Chow says is true (I know it's not).
This is what happens when a program has 0 transparency.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...
Anyway, its time for @seanfraser.bsky.social to release the HAF agreements so we can see if what Mayor Chow says is true (I know it's not).
This is what happens when a program has 0 transparency.
www.thestar.com/politics/fed...