Housing Affordability

The needs of landlords

Rumors abound about "slumlords," as there are landlords that fail to meet the basic needs of their renters and are driven solely by profit. But landlords can also be your average pensioner or middle-income couple, and they have their own stories to share of...

Featured News

Trust is the Foundation of Authority

The heartbreaking death of Nathanael Spitzer, the cancer-stricken boy from Ponoka, exposed a most callous streak in Alberta’s medical bureaucracy. There is no forgiving how Alberta Health Services appallingly used a child’s death to promote yet more COVID-19 fear. ...

One Trip Around Houston, And They’re Preaching To The Converted

The idea of a city without zoning might imply anarchy. Houston avoids this through protective covenants. All the home owners in a neighbourhood can band together and agree that no development can take place without the approval of the community. These covenants cover a large proportion of the city, but they don’t cover vacant land, so they don’t impede development and growth. In effect, they provide privatised zoning, but at a local level and without the interference of government and all the corruption that brings with it.

Escaping the Poverty Trap

Most people, given the choice, would like to live in a neighbourhood that boasts a sense of community. The poor are no different. A stake in one’s own community and a sense of belonging are crucial to generating social capital and good relations between neighbours.

The ‘Right to Buy’

The benefits of allowing state tenants to purchase their homes are massive: reducing reliance on the state, creating civic pride and a greater sense of social inclusion, improving neighbourhood appearance and safety and providing a basis for financial security.