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Cautious Optimism for the B.C. and Ontario Housing Markets
Momentum in the Ontario and B.C. housing markets persisted into the new year, with home sales continuing to rise in January. Seasonally adjusted MLS® sales were up 6.9% in Ontario and 4.5% in B.C. from the prior month. Home prices in B.C. rose in January after fluctuating up-and-down since mid-year 2023. However, prices are still…
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Federal Lands Affordability Initiative – Old Wine in a New Bottle
The federal government is looking at how to better leverage public land to support affordable housing initiatives, according to a recent announcement from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser. The intent of the initiative is to develop new housing on existing federal land. The minister cited examples of constructing a 60-story residential building on…
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Quantitative Tightening – When Will the Paint Dry?
Global financial markets faced unprecedented disruption when economies shut down in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. To support financial markets, the Bank of Canada launched 10 liquidity facilities and asset purchase programs. As markets recovered from the initial shock, the central bank refocused their operations from ensuring that markets functioned to using these tools…
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Housing Abundance is the Best Rent Control
Despite the presence of various rent control regulations and policies across Canada, doubts persist about their effectiveness in curbing inflation in the housing market. Rent control measures vary across Canadian provinces. Quebec publishes annual rent guidelines, while British Columbia had a 2% cap in 2023, rising to 3.5% in 2024. In Ontario, rent hikes are…
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Bank of Canada Stuck on Pause
January employment data came in stronger than expected with a gain of 37,000 jobs and a slight decrease in the unemployment rate to 5.7%. While the headline was positive, the details paint a more complex picture. Most of the job gains were in part-time positions, while full-time employment declined. Private sector employment saw modest growth…
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Canada’s Foreign Buyer Ban – Prudent Policy or Political Theatre?
The federal government has extended the ban on foreign purchases of homes across most of the country by two years, prolonging the existing ban that was set to expire at the end of this calendar year. This decision comes amidst ongoing controversy surrounding the topic. CMHC and other agencies have historically lacked comprehensive records of…
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Reading the Tea Leaves on the Fed’s Policy Decision
Much of understanding central bankers is interpreting changes in their policy statements. As expected, the Federal Reserve (the Fed) left its policy rate unchanged and maintained the current pace of quantitative tightening in its January meeting. The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC), however, made significant changes to the policy statement, suggesting an upward revision in…
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