He's got 215,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of views. The urban planner and YouTube creator Uytae Lee sits down with Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt to have a fun and wide-ranging conversation about housing and the systemic hurdles to building more of it. Uytae shares insights on creating engaging content about housing, urban planning, design and the realities of YouTube monetization. The discussion also touches on the challenges of prefabricated housing, the need for innovation and some free advice for the new prime minister of Canada.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

01:14 Understanding the B.C. housing situation and housing taxes

04:12 Getting lucky with single egress video

05:41 The impact of building codes on housing

08:49 Creating engaging YouTube content

12:55 The reality of YouTube monetization

14:34 How long it takes to make an About Here video

15:41 Are you hopeful about housing?

17:44 Political discourse on housing

18:15 Caution around factory built homes as a panacea

21:30 Uytae’s favourite form of housing

23:35 Good governance could mean good housing policy

25:17 Immigration, housing and the backlash

27:24 Start with what you want to create and work backwards

Research/Links

Uytae Lee’s YouTube page:

The Housing Tax Crisis

Why North America Can't Build Nice Apartments (because of one rule)

How Breaking Rules Could Create Better Apartments

Why is it So Hard to Mass-Produce Housing?

How a SoftBank-Backed Construction Startup Burned Through $3 Billion

How Elevator Rules Cost Us Homes: An Interview with Market Urbanism

Eight Pieces of Housing Advice to the Prime Minister

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt discuss the significant decline in the construction of three-bedroom homes in Ontario, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). They explore the implications of the 'baby bust' phenomenon, where fewer families are able to afford suitable housing, leading to a decrease in birth rates. The conversation delves into the regulatory barriers and economic conditions that have contributed to the housing crisis, emphasizing the need for policy changes to address the missing middle in housing options. The episode highlights the challenges faced by young families in navigating the current housing market and the importance of providing both rental and ownership opportunities.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction

00:51 The baby bust and housing trends

03:08 Why aren’t more 3-bedrooms being built?

05:3 Home ownership is falling in parts of Ontario

08:28 The Missing Middle’s North Star

09:00 Renting or owning, it should be a choice

12:30 Housing and fertility

18:14 Should the government step in?

19:35 Mike reminisces about Lawn Darts

21:00 Urban growth boundaries have consequences

Research/Links

Poilievre catches heat from opponents for talk of 'biological clocks'

The Baby Bust and the Death of the Three-Bedroom Ownership Home

Hard evidence on the link between housing and fertility.

https://x.com/mikalskuterud/status/1907114728108773444

https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5046571

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.

In this episode of The Missing Middle, hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Michael Moffatt discuss the housing platforms of Canada's major federal parties as they approach the April 28 election. They analyze the promises made by the Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP regarding housing starts, affordability, and the implications of these policies on young Canadians. The conversation delves into the commonalities and differences in party platforms, the impact of municipal incentives and rent control, and critiques of the math behind the promises. They also explore the sociological implications of housing policies and the relationship between immigration and housing supply.

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:29 Examining the housing start pledges
03:53 Housing platform commonalities
04:39 Municipal incentives
06:55 NDP’s rent control promise examined
10:47 Eliminating the GST on New Housing
13:27 Math is hard for both Liberals and Conservatives and the PBO
20:33 Not particularly bold housing ideas
24:14 Immigration targets and housing


Links:
Liberal Platform

Conservative Platform

NDP Platform

Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux

Produced by Meredith Martin

This podcast is funded by the Neptis Foundation and brought to you by the Smart Prosperity Institute.