2023 Toronto Mayoral by-election

[Northern Light]

Bailao released more of her housing platform:

Bold Reforms to Build More Homes

Ana Bailão announced more details on her housing plan with planning reforms that will create more housing options for Toronto residents.

anabailao.ca

Bailao released more of her housing platform:

Bold Reforms to Build More Homes

Ana Bailão announced more details on her housing plan with planning reforms that will create more housing options for Toronto residents.

anabailao.ca

As-of-right, 8-storeys might be bold, if it meant along all major arterials; if it applies only to areas having had 'avenue studies' it won't change all that much.

Watch for the difference between 'appears bold' and 'is bold'.

***

Ana has also committed to keeping taxes at or below inflation, which ensures the City doesn't have enough money to deliver core services, let alone build any deeply affordable housing.

As noted, the industry (housing development) has somewhere between little and no slack available to build anymore housing, any faster, irrespective of what permissions are in place. As a result, the best one can likely hope for in the above scenario might be that that builders facing reduced costs would pass some savings on to consumers (renters/owners); but since money is made by charging the top dollar that someone else is willing to pay, I'm not at all clear this achieves much at all.

Which is not to say that its a bad thing; just that it isn't what its advertised to be.

 

[Northern Light]

Now for a couple of links to things we ought to consider as we look ahead to this election.

First, Matt Elliott has an excellent column up at The Star which looks at the issue of property taxes, and which is not behind the paywall.

Opinion | Which candidates for mayor are actually offering real talk on Toronto taxes? So far, too few

You may disagree with the specifics of some of the proposals coming from left-leaning candidates, but at least they’re acknowledging reality.

www.thestar.com

Second. A behind the paywall column by David Parkinson of the Globe and Mail on the link between surging foreign students and high rents:

Opinion: Thank your local university for your higher rent bill

Universities and colleges have aggressively pursued international students but haven’t spent any money to build new student residences

www.theglobeandmail.com

From the above:

Note that the direct issue above is Provincial/Federal; but the importance here is that there is no municipal solution to this.

 

[Rufus8]

Will anyone send in the boots to clear out Allan Gardens? That woman/man gets my vote.

If a firm hand approach can clear Trinity Bellwoods we can do the same to clear Allan Gardens. Downtown East wants its park back.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-homeless-foi-1.6437578

I thought it was illegal, some judge said that it was unconstitutional to deny tents. Look at what that has done in America and tell me that is a good idea. It's not about property it's about safety. It simple is not safe to camp in a public park.

 

[Rufus8]

Got my voters card - advance polls for Spadina-Fort York are at 45 Fort York (2km away) and 155 Crawford (4km away). Not easy for the seniors but 26 June site (85 The Esplanade) is VERY convenient.
I've decided (for now) on Matlow. Chow is a total bust for me, spineless, rhetoric-driven and seems to blow with the wind, we really need someone to stand up to the province - it might Matlow, at least he knows the lay of the land in council. I would love to know what deal Crombie struck to get Mississauga's independence, the timing is just too much! I'm not sure I would want a leader that was obviously so cosy with the opposition.

 

[Bayer]

I thought it was illegal, some judge said that it was unconstitutional to deny tents. Look at what that has done in America and tell me that is a good idea. It's not about property it's about safety. It simple is not safe to camp in a public park.

There has to be an alternative to tents. Do I want our parks to be occupied by homeless people? No. Should our inability to provide social/supportive housing, mental health services or even enough shelter space be thrown in our faces? Absolutely.

 

[PinkLucy]

There is currently a mayoral debate on CP24 focussing on housing. Joe Cressy is moderating.

 

[SJD_Toronto]

There is currently a mayoral debate on CP24 focussing on housing. Joe Cressy is moderating.

Did anyone check it out? Thoughts? Take aways?

 

[PinkLucy]

Just saw a bit at the beginning. Fair sense of camaraderie which was nice for a change instead of the typical loud talking over each other.

 

[Northern Light]

Matt Elliott did play by play of the Housing Debate on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1661412049841209344

My thoughts: (Based on Matt's play by play)

Far too much snark and too little substance.

Saunders seems clueless; Bradford like he's lighting everything on fire, Bailao seems obtuse.

Matlow and Chow came closest to good answers for me; though I would have liked more depth.

One notable:

Every candidate is a home-owner. But Matlow bought his first at 36, 'and the bank is still the majority owner); Chow didn't get her 1st place til her 40s.... Neither is in the proverbial poor house, but this compares to every other candidate
getting their first home at 30 or younger.

That's a real disconnect from today's reality.

**

Edit to add, CBC also had coverage of the debate:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-housing-debate-may-24-1.6852917

 

[Towered]

Matlow remains my voting intention for now.

 

[christiesplits]

Second. A behind the paywall column by David Parkinson of the Globe and Mail on the link between surging foreign students and high rents:

Opinion: Thank your local university for your higher rent bill

Universities and colleges have aggressively pursued international students but haven’t spent any money to build new student residences

www.theglobeandmail.com

From the above:

View attachment 479270
Note that the direct issue above is Provincial/Federal; but the importance here is that there is no municipal solution to this.

This might be getting off topic, but I have a question related to international students.

If hypothetically we slashed international college/university admissions in half, would this lead to a huge shortage of service and retail workers? It appears that many of Toronto's restaurant workers, Amazon couriers, security guards, and Uber drivers are also full-time international students.

 

[Northern Light]

This might be getting off topic, but I have a question related to international students.

If hypothetically we slashed international college/university admissions in half, would this lead to a huge shortage of service and retail workers? It appears that many of Toronto's restaurant workers, Amazon couriers, security guards, and Uber drivers are also full-time international students.

Yes it would, which is exactly what we need!

Wages in these professions are starvation wages, not living wages.

But they will not rise when we sustain them with an endless 'under class' of workers who will take those jobs, and who can be treated as expendable and are, because there's more where they came from....

Its gross.

When Seattle and SF have minimum wages north of $22 per hour CAD and we're under $17 with a comparable real estate market...........you see the clear effect.

Further, its when labour costs rise that employers invest in productivity and innovation. You get automated check outs, cleaning robots, order kiosks, self-serve pop machines and more because labour costs rise and that's as it should be.

The market naturally rebalances over time, as labour demand is reduced through productivity.

Plus, for low income earners, those additional wages are immediately reinvested in the economy, in food, housing, hair cuts, a new winter coat or pair of shoes or replacing that phone with a cracked screen etc. Which is a boon to the economy and to government tax revenues.

 

[picard102]

Does the mayor have any ability to control this? Seems like it would be out of their reach.

 

[Northern Light]

Does the mayor have any ability to control this? Seems like it would be out of their reach.

What's this? The number of foreign students admitted to Canada? No, not in a statutory or regulatory way.

What they can do, however, is use the bully pulpit to tell the people of Toronto what the link between the federal and provincial policies that drive this, and the housing crisis and low wage growth is......... and them make clear which MP/MPPs bear responsibility.

That might well change the political calculus of senior levels of government were they to do so.

 

[goreckm]

What's this? The number of foreign students admitted to Canada? No, not in a statutory or regulatory way.

What they can do, however, is use the bully pulpit to tell the people of Toronto what the link between the federal and provincial policies that drive this, and the housing crisis and low wage growth is......... and them make clear which MP/MPPs bear responsibility.

That might well change the political calculus of senior levels of government were they to do so.

There is a real fine line here though. This can easily be turned by many people into a race issue, like we see south of the border. Bringing too much light to this topic can burn everyone.