Hot, Hot Housing 🔥🔥🏠 is a reported column on the housing crisis in Vancouver and beyond in lead up to the October municipal elections.
At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, experts predicted the worldwide halt of many economic activities would lead to a drop in home sales, prices and rents. Instead, the opposite happened.
In this column, reporters Jen St. Denis and Christopher Cheung investigate all the forces causing prices and rents to overheat, and where policy is falling short. They also dig into the hot emotions of just how bad unaffordability has become. B.C.’s Housing Minister David Eby said the battle to find a home here has turned into The Hunger Games.
Got housing stories of your own? Whether it’s market hijinks, tenancy horrors or survival tips, you can email our reporters at housing@thetyee.ca.
In This Series
Rate Hikes Hit BC’s Hot, Hot Housing. What’s Their Cooling Effect?
Our final column examines the effect of runaway inflation on home affordability in Canada’s priciest province.
Breaking Down the Big New Batch of Housing Data
StatCan’s latest survey is troubling on many levels. But the housing crisis isn’t without solutions. Our newest Hot, Hot Housing.
It’s a Municipal Election Year. In Vancouver, Homelessness Is Top of Mind
City council candidates share their thoughts.
A Suite Deal: Why Some Still Pay Low, Low Rents
They got their foot in the door ahead of a hot rental market, but there’s ‘always fear’ of renoviction.
A Queer-Centred Development Moves Ahead in Vancouver’s Gay Village
The 17-storey building is one of seven city-owned sites being developed into affordable housing. Our latest Hot, Hot Housing.
Homeless by the Tracks and the Rising River
Despite the dangers, many prefer sheltering in remote areas to being repeatedly displaced in a city.
To Fund Repairs, BC Landlords Can Raise the Rent
‘It really amounts to… a transfer of wealth from tenants to landlords,’ says one tenant advocate.
Where Does the New BC Liberal Leader Stand on Housing?
From rent control to the speculation tax, Kevin Falcon opens up. Our Hot, Hot Housing interview.
A Burnaby Housing Corporation? ‘Everything’s On the Table,’ Says Mayor
Metro Van’s third-biggest city considers building a housing corp from scratch.
The Data Shows Taxing Empty Homes Works
BC’s speculation and vacancy tax returned 20,000 empty units to the rental market, says economist Tsur Somerville.
Your Hot, Hot Housing Questions Answered
Thanks for your queries. We break down everything from view cones to vacancy control in this week’s Hot, Hot Housing.
What’s the Deal with Crowdfunded Housing Investment Sites?
To renters they pose opportunity or threat, depending on who you ask. The latest in Hot, Hot Housing.
Will Vancouver’s Broadway Plan Hurt Renters?
Not if council passes my amendment, says the mayor. We asked two renters’ groups if he’s right. The latest in Hot, Hot Housing.
Is It Time for Renters to Unionize?
Tenant protections have fallen short in BC. Some say collective bargaining power is the solution. Our latest Hot, Hot Housing.
Chinatown Needs Senior Housing. What’s In the Way?
For Chau Luen Society, the barriers literally grow out of a previous victory for the neighbourhood. The latest in Hot, Hot Housing.
How SkyTrain Derails Affordable Housing
In Metro Vancouver, subway lines spawn pricey new units and benefit high-income people most. Can we even the scales? The latest in Hot, Hot Housing.
Where Did Vancouver’s Children Go?
New data show fewer kids in many neighbourhoods. What’s the impact? Where are families moving? The latest in Hot, Hot Housing.
Why Can’t We Build Like It’s the 1970s?
Between 1973 and 1994, Canada built 16,000 affordable homes a year. Why can’t we do that now? Our latest Hot, Hot Housing column.
A ‘Wicked’ Problem: David Eby on Housing Fixes and Frustrations
Time for the province to get tough? Our Hot, Hot Housing interview with the minister.
Is Eby Going to Take Aim at NIMBYs Blocking Housing?
The province has hinted at cutting councils’ control of housing projects. The UBCM says there’s no need. Our latest Hot, Hot Housing.
Hippie Heritage: In Praise of the Rooming House
Could this throwback be part of today’s affordable living solution? Our latest Hot, Hot Housing.
Who’s Your Landlord? Use Our Helpful Guide to Find Out
Property ownership can be shrouded in mystery in BC. Our latest Hot, Hot Housing shows you how to lift the veil.
Too Obsessed with ‘Character’ Homes?
What to do when nostalgic aesthetics block new housing? This week’s Hot, Hot Housing.
The Pandemic Stalled Rents. Now They’re Climbing Again
Craigslist data shows rents are rising, along with home prices. The latest in our Hot, Hot Housing series.
Hot, Hot Housing: A New Tyee Column
Today begins our weekly coverage of BC’s affordability crisis and ideas to address it.