The parallel housing journeys Mexico and Canada have been on since the 1990s are now diverging. Claudia Sheinbaum’s government has shown that another path is possible. Canada’s misguided strategies, built around supporting financial and real estate industries, are not our only option. We can draw inspiration from Mexico’s decision to actively restructure its housing system.
    • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.caEnglish
      11·
      3 days ago

      Would you rather live in a world where 1 in 2 low-income people have adequate housing provided by the government at an affordable rate, and the rest wait on a list for someone to die just barely scraping by. Or a world where the housing is affordable for everyone?

      Housing some people is great, but housing everyone is preferrable and achievable.

      We do not lack houses in Canada (or pretty much anywhere that housing prices are the issue), it’s the distribution that’s the problem. There are more bedrooms in Canada than people, I did the math.

      Land Value Taxes would solve the distribution issue, remove speculation, and reduce overall prices for everyone who isn’t living in a massive single detached house with too few people to be considered reasonable (Cough My parents Cough)

      • naught101@lemmy.world
        3·
        3 days ago

        We’re not talking about 1 or 2 though, are we? We’re talking about hundreds of thousands (and also presumably most of the private development will continue).

        • BlameThePeacock@lemmy.caEnglish
          11·
          2 days ago

          I said 1 in 2 (50%) not 1 or 2.

          Flip a coin,

          • Heads you get an affordable unit
          • Tails you get to live with 5 family members in a 1 bedroom apartment while watching the lucky 50% get nice units

          Or… we could just reduce the price for everyone by simply changing how we tax land.