EXPLAINER: How Airbnb and short-term rentals have decimated housing in Canada

From Quebec to B.C., what is being done to demand accountability?

Ricochet

Addendum 1

* Vancouver B.C: growing population
* construction of new affordable apartments not economically viable
* increased competition for available apartments
* Vancouver real estate so expensive that only profitable approach to new rental units is towers w. hundreds of $million+ units
* meanwhile empty/vacant apartments/condos: offshore wealth shelters
* private equity exacerbates already dire availability/affordability situation

#AffordableHousing #capitalism #corporations #profiteering

Addendum 2

Impact of Short-term Rentals on Canadian Housing
Using data collection & analysis to investigate effects of short-term rentals
https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/en/nhs/nhs-project-profiles/2020-nhs-projects/impact-short-term-rentals-canadian-housing

* short-term rental services such as Airbnb disrupted housing markets across Canada, around the world
* popularity led to apartments & houses converted f. traditional long-term housing rentals into STR

#AffordableHousing #Airbnb #neoliberalism #capitalism #profiteering #corporations #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #homelessness

The Impact of Short-term Rentals on Canadian Housing

Using data collection and analysis to investigate the effects of short-term rentals in Canada.

Addendum 3

Avg. price for Canadian rental unit hits record high in 2023-06
https://www.ctvnews.ca/business/average-asking-price-for-canadian-rental-unit-hits-record-high-in-june-rentals-ca-1.6478222
https://rentals.ca/national-rent-report

*avg. price for rental unit in Canada reached a record $2,042 last month amid continued interest rate hikes, population expansion, low unemployment
* Vancouver was Canada's priciest city for renters: 1-bedroom $2,945; 2-bedroom $3,863

#Canada #Vancouver #Toronto #AffordableHousing #HumanRights #WealthInequality #inflation #CorporateGreed #PrivateEquity #corporations

Average asking price for Canadian rental unit hits record high in June: Rentals.ca

A new report says the average asking price for a rental unit in Canada reached a record $2,042 last month amid continued interest rate hikes, population expansion and low unemployment.

CTVNews

Addendum 4

[artwork]
Rent Hikes: As rents continue to increase in USA, eviction filings jump 50% above pre-pandemic levels
https://www.thenation.com/article/economy/rent-hikes/

UNITED STATES

Tenants push Biden for rent control on all government-backed housing
Tenants are organizing to require rent control for landlords who receive federal support
https://wagingnonviolence.org/2023/07/tenants-push-biden-for-rent-control-government-backed-housing

LA Promised to Preserve Low-Cost Housing. Tenants’ Homes Were Turned Into Hotel Rooms Anyway
https://www.propublica.org/article/meet-people-uprooted-by-american-hotel-los-angeles

#AffordableHousing #inflation

Rent Hikes

As rents continue to increase in some cities in the USA, eviction filings jump over 50% above pre-pandemic levels.

The Nation

Addendum 5

'This is a very serious issue': Growing concerns over illegal Airbnb listings flooding the Vancouver market
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/this-is-a-very-serious-issue-growing-concerns-over-illegal-airbnb-listings-flooding-the-vancouver-market-1.6492769

Our city is experiencing a housing crisis and some people are taking advantage of the system and trying to make some money using some illegal short-term rental."

Under City of Vancouver regulations, you need a valid business licence to operate a short-term rental, and it’s illegal

#Canada #Vancouver #Airbnb #HousingCrisis #AffordableHousing

'This is a very serious issue': Growing concerns over illegal Airbnb listings flooding the Vancouver market

City Councillor Lenny Zhou says he's working with staff to figure out just how many illegal short-term rental units are operating in Vancouver.

British Columbia

Addendum 6

How We Found What the City of Los Angeles Didn’t: Landlords Renting Low-Cost Housing to Tourists
Hotel ads, booking sites and guest reviews
Tourists staying in rooms meant for low-cost housing
Yet the city’s Housing Department has cited few landlords for violating the residential hotel law
https://www.propublica.org/article/we-found-los-angeles-landlords-renting-residential-hotels

#LosAngeles #AffordableHousing #ShortTermRentals #homelessness #corporations #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #inflation #CorporateGreed #HumanRights

How We Found What the City of Los Angeles Didn’t: Landlords Renting Low-Cost Housing to Tourists

Hotel ads, booking sites and guest reviews. Tourists staying in rooms meant for low-cost housing. Yet the city’s Housing Department has cited few landlords for violating the residential hotel law.

ProPublica
The Montreal shuffle: Inside the Airbnb hustle taking homes off the market | Ricochet

This article is part of our joint investigation into Airbnb and the housing crisis with Pivot. You can read a French version on their site.

Ricochet

Addendum 8

Landlords’ Anti-Rent-Control Argument Is B.S.
https://socialistproject.ca/2023/08/landlords-anti-rent-control-argument-is-pure-bs

* landlords, their defenders can’t defend the indefensible: rents soaring 92% in last decade
* squeezes working class tenants while corporate landlords like Essex ($408-million 2022 profits), Equity ($807-million), Avalon Bay ($1.1-billion) enrich billionaire class

#poverty #AffordableHousing #RentControl #capitalism #SocialistProject #PrivateEquity #DefundBillionaires #WealthInequality #PovertyIndustrialComplex

The Landlords’ Anti-Rent-Control Argument Is Pure BS - The Bullet

A cynic once said, “if you can’t win an argument, then change the subject.” The big landlords and their defenders in the Democratic political

Socialist Project

Addendum 9

Landlords Pushing U.S. Supreme Court to End Rent Control
https://jacobin.com/2023/08/supreme-court-landlords-rent-control-harlan-crow-clarence-thomas

* landlord lobbying groups want to overturn NYC rent stabilization law
* would pave way for legal challenges to rent control laws across U.S.
* 1 group tied to GOP megadonor/Clarence Thomas benefactor Harlan Crow, and hedge fund billionaire Paul Singer who provided private jet to Samuel Alito

#AffordableHousing #RentControl #DefundBillionaires #SCOTUS #HarlanCrow #PaulSinger #ClarenceThomas #SamAlito

Landlords Are Pushing the Supreme Court to End Rent Control

Two landlord lobbying groups are petitioning the Supreme Court to overturn New York City’s rent stabilization law, which would allow further countrywide challenges to rent control. Real estate billionaires friendly with court justices are backing the move.

Addendum 10

Every developer opted to pay Montreal instead of building affordable housing under bylaw
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110928362532236819

Canada's housing affordability crisis requires wartime public effort: CUPE
https://cupe.ca/canadas-housing-affordability-crisis-requires-wartime-public-effort-cupe

Canadian Union of Public Employees: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_Union_of_Public_Employees
* Canadian trade union serving public sector
* recent years organized workplaces in non-profit & para-public sector

#Canada #CUPE #AffordableHousing #HumanRights #capitalism #homelessness #socialism #unions

Canada's housing affordability crisis requires wartime public effort: CUPE

Canada's largest union, the Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE), says there will be no meaningful improvement to housing affordability as long as the Liberal government excludes the expansion of public housing as part of the solution.

Canadian Union of Public Employees

Addendum 11
See also Addendum 10

Conflict of interest: Montreal politicians making decisions on housing are also landlords
Review of financial declarations revealed major omissions, over a dozen evictions tied to 3 politicians f. across political spectrum
https://ricochet.media/en/3985/conflict-of-interest-montreal-politicians-making-decisions-on-housing-are-also-landlords

“We need elected officials looking at housing as a right … not a way of making money.”

* evictions, rent increases, unhappy tenants
* undeclared property

#Canada #Montreal #AffordableHousing #capitalism #corruption

Conflict of interest: Montreal politicians making decisions on housing are also landlords | Ricochet

This article is part of our joint investigation into Airbnb and the housing crisis with Pivot. You can read a French version on their site.

Ricochet

Addendum 12

Big Real Estate Executives Among Top Donors to Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives
Conservative Party’s donors include real estate investors & developers buying up affordable housing across Canada
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/111015899227109919

Example of the work of a sponsor
https://mastodon.social/@theteapixie@mstdn.ca/111016444543659978

“Forum Asset Management property recently criticized for Vancouver viral video showing housing unit in a former SRO hotel in DTES now a “micro suite” available for $2,000 a month”

#Vancouver #AffordableHousing

Addendum 13

Private equity, corporate greed is killing us
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/111016493496666866

https://persagen.com >> search: associa OR "Rhome Property Management"

Owners of

Agree to 40% rent hike or we may sell your homes landlord tells Surrey, B.C renters
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/40-per-cent-rent-hike-landlord-surrey-1.6830185

* seniors unable to afford rent increase
* property manager: Rhome / Associa
* Rhome B.C. management ALL Americans

#Vancouver #AffordableHousing #corporations #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #HumanRights #homelessness

Persagen.com

Addendum 14

Artificial Intelligence Making Housing Crisis Worse

* private equity-backed AI screens tenants, set rents
* heightens errors, discrimination

https://persagen.com >> search:
"affordable housing" AND "private equity"
"affordable housing"
realpage

#AlgorithmicPricing #AutomatingInequality #SurveillanceCapitalism #optimization #EconomicInequality #BlackStone #Fundrise #JPMorganChase #RealPage #PrivateEquity #corporations #DefundCorporations #inflation #CorporateGreed #homelessness

Persagen.com

Addendum 15

Eviction Crisis About to Hit Los Angeles
Tenant rights groups sounding alarm about impending eviction crisis
https://jacobin.com/2023/09/eviction-crisis-los-angeles-california-rent-debt-housing

* hundreds of thousands L.A. tenants risk of losing housing
* compelling some to fight back

#AffordableHousing #rentals #ShortTermRentals #Airbnb #neoliberalism #capitalism #profiteering #corporations #CorporateGreed #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #HumanRights #homelessness #inflation #protest #eviction #poverty #TenantsRights #activism

The Eviction Crisis Is About to Hit Los Angeles

Tenant rights groups have been sounding the alarm about an impending post-pandemic eviction crisis. In Los Angeles, that day has come — putting hundreds of thousands of tenants at risk of losing their housing and compelling some to fight back.

Vancouver Tenants Union

The Vancouver Tenants Union seeks to build a base of tenants throughout the city to establish political power to create change.

Vancouver Tenants Union

Addendum 17

Homelessness in Canada has reached humanitarian crisis level
"Many Canadians, esp. renters, closer to homelessness than they might imagine"
https://ricochet.media/en/3983/homelessness-in-canada-has-now-reached-the-level-of-a-humanitarian-crisis-experts-warn

* escalating national crisis
* no political leadership, solutions

#Canada #AffordableHousing #VancouverTenantsUnion #rentals #Airbnb #capitalism #profiteering #corporations #CorporateGreed #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #HumanRights #homelessness #inflation #eviction #poverty #TenantsRights #activism

Homelessness in Canada has reached a humanitarian crisis level, experts warn | Ricochet

‘Many Canadians, especially renters, are closer to homelessness than they might imagine’

Ricochet

Addendum 18

How much you need to make ea. year to buy home in Vancouver, British Columbia
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/here-s-how-much-you-need-to-make-each-year-to-buy-a-home-in-vancouver-1.6566365

* minimum annual income needed to buy home in Vancouver $250,000
* increase, according to Ratehub.ca, due to interest rates; came despite a small dip in avg. home price

#Canada #AffordableHousing #VancouverTenantsUnion #rentals #Airbnb #capitalism #profiteering #corporations #CorporateGreed #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #HumanRights #homelessness #inflation #eviction #poverty

Here's how much you need to make each year to buy a home in Vancouver

The minimum annual income needed to buy a home in Vancouver inched closer to $250,000 last month, according to an online mortgage brokerage.

British Columbia

Addendum 19
See also addendae 6, 15

Los Angeles Tenants Consistently Organize to Defend Public Housing, Because It Works
Since 1990s Los Angeles privatizing its public housing even as its residents repeatedly organize to defend their homes
https://jacobin.com/2023/09/los-angeles-jordan-downs-public-housing-privatization-organizing

* organizing demonstrates importance of public housing, why the Left should demand we build more of it

#LosAngeles #TenantsRights #AffordableHousing #HumanRights #corporations #DefundCorporations #PrivateEquity #PublicHousing

Los Angeles Tenants Have Consistently Organized to Defend Public Housing — Because It Works

Since the 1990s, Los Angeles has been privatizing its public housing even as its residents repeatedly organize to defend their homes. That organizing demonstrates the importance of public housing — and why the Left should demand we build more of it.

Addendum 20

Why is Brampton rent surging 3 times faster than every other city in Canada?
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/why-is-brampton-rent-surging-3-times-faster-than-every-other-city-in-canada-1.6573880

* lot of entry level jobs, manufacturing, distribution draws immigrants
* Sheridan College (visa students)

September 2023 Rentals.ca Report
https://rentals.ca/national-rent-report
* avg. rents in Canada incr. 1.8% monthly, 9.6% annually to reach another record high of $2,117 in 2023-08

Brampton: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brampton

#Canada #Ontario #Brampton #AffordableHousing #HumanRights #PublicHousing

Why is Brampton rent surging 3 times faster than every other city in Canada?

Rent in Brampton shot up three times faster over the last year than the national average in Canada, according to a rental report.

Toronto
@persagen
Not sure if you knew about this but there’s a great read that I think you should look into if you’re interested. AI-powered systems for algorithmic rent increase, that sounds like something she would’ve covered in #automatinginequality
https://virginia-eubanks.com/automating-inequality/
Also Zuboff’s website just for fun
https://shoshanazuboff.com/book/
#surveillancecapitalism
Automating Inequality

“This book is downright scary — but with its striking research and moving, indelible portraits of life in the ‘digital poorhouse,’ you will emerge smarter and more empowered…

Virginia Eubanks
@greyelephant Awesome! Thank you very much for the links, hashtag! 😀 👍️ Victoria 🙏

City of Montreal to build dozens of modular housing units to combat homelessness crisis
https://montreal.ctvnews.ca/city-of-montreal-to-build-dozens-of-modular-housing-units-to-combat-homelessness-crisis-1.7016727

* City of Montreal adding new measure to efforts to combat growing homelessness crisis
* 60 modular housing units expected 2025-Mar
* offer vulnerable Montrealers way back into housing

#Canada #Montreal #AffordableHousing #HumanRights #capitalism #homelessness #socialism

City of Montreal to build dozens of modular housing units to combat homelessness crisis

The City of Montreal is adding a new measure to its efforts to combat the growing homelessness crisis. A fleet of 60 modular housing units is expected to be ready in March 2025, offering vulnerable Montrealers a way back into housing.

Montreal

Canadian mega landlord Dream Unlimited using AI pricing to massively hike rents
https://breachmedia.ca/canadian-mega-landlord-ai-pricing-scheme-hikes-rents

* algorithmic pricing
*gives landlords ability to coordinate rent hikes
* used by Canadian developer Dream Unlimited ($25B assets)

Dream Unlimited: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dream_Unlimited#2023-2024_Rent_Strikes

Rent strikes in Toronto: https://mastodon.social/@persagen/112939264838100221

#Canada #AffordableHousing #corporations #CorporateGreed #capitalism #AlgorithmicPricing #DreamUnlimited #PrivateEquity #developers #inflation #poverty #RentStrike

Canadian mega landlord using AI ‘pricing scheme’ as it massively hikes rents ⋆ The Breach

Software the U.S. government says is illegal gives landlords ability to coordinate rent hikes. Now it’s being used in Canada by developer Dream Unlimited

The Breach

Rent strikes in Toronto
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/112939264838100221

Can’t afford the rent: Rental wages in Canada 2022
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110770408376631623

Average asking rents in Canada reached $2,185 in2024-Jun as growth slows to 7%
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/112759279505990491

'Kind of dehumanizing': What it's like trying to find a decent place to rent in Calgary these days
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/110509675396950001

Toronto tenants fight rent increase, argue landlord QMW Corporation using it to cover redevelopment costs
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/tenants-fight-agi-cover-cost-report-sell-develop-bu-1.7313349

* tenants fighting above-guideline rent increase
* 1/2 of it covering environmental assessment
* typically used to help landlord sell/redevelop property
* claim: landlord QMW Corporation using AI to recover costs associated w. future redevelopment

#Canada #AffordableHousing #CorporateGreed #capitalism #AlgorithmicPricing #DreamUnlimited #QMWcorporation #developers

Toronto tenants fight rent increase, argue landlord is partially using it to cover redevelopment costs | CBC News

Tenants in a Toronto apartment complex are fighting an above-guideline increase (AGI) to their rent because nearly half of the expenses that the increase is supposed to cover stem from an environmental assessment of the land generally used to help sell or redevelop property.

CBC

Private Equity Giants Invest >$200M in Federal Races to Protect Lucrative Tax Loophole
https://mastodon.social/@persagen/112882987432014405

* 11/50 top indiv. contributors to pol. campaigns this election cycle work in private equity
* betting on candidates who will protect v. special federal tax break: carried interest loophole

#capitalism #PrivateEquity #GOP #billionaires #PrivateEquity #WealthConcentration #WealthInequality #inflation #WealthTax #TAXtheRich #REIT #libertarianism #corporations #oligarchy #plutocracy

CAPREIT
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CAPREIT

* Canadian real estate investment trust h.q. in Toronto, Ontario, Canada
* CAPREIT: largest publicly traded apartment landlord in Canada
* 2022: $17.7+ billion in assets
* owns/interests in 67,000+ residential apartments, townhomes, housing units across Canada, Netherlands, Ireland
* 28,500 employees

#CAPREIT #capitalism #REIT #PrivateEquity #PrivateEquity #WealthInequality #inflation #WealthTax #TAXtheRich #corporations #oligarchy #AffordableHousing #slumlords

CAPREIT - Wikipedia

Vancouver housing unit subdivided w. cardboard wall
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/quite-alarming-u-s-student-says-vancouver-housing-unit-subdivided-with-cardboard-wall-1.7048797

* unit not as advertised; unsanitary, unsafe
* cardboard wall next to stove to create make-shift room
* unit at Ocean Park Place in West End run by CAPREIT: Canadian Apartment Properties REIT
* CAPREIT building in New Westminster tried to convert 1-BR units to multiple rooms

CAPREIT: https://mastodon.social/@persagen/113188701327401598

#BC #CAPREIT #capitalism #REIT #PrivateEquity #inflation #corporations #oligarchy #AffordableHousing #slumlords

'Quite alarming': U.S. student says Vancouver housing unit subdivided with cardboard wall

A U.S. family whose son is pursuing an education in Vancouver is speaking out following their 'quite alarming' experience with a housing site.

British Columbia
Winnipeg landlord facing $9K in penalties over mass eviction

A Winnipeg landlord is facing $9,000 in penalties following a mass eviction at a Winnipeg apartment block this summer.

Winnipeg

Real Estate/landlord lobby groups give large donations to 4 co-founders of Congressional Real Estate Caucus
https://therevolvingdoorproject.org/meet-corporate-landlords-new-favorite-caucus

* ability of tenant advocates to combat predatory corporate landlords could face stiff resistance f. a new group on Capitol Hill
* launched May 2024 by 2 Republicans/2 Democrats

https://alford.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=503
https://realtorparty.realtor/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/Caucus-Backgrounder.pdf

#CongressionalRealEstateCaucus #AffordableHousing #libertarianism #capitalism #profiteering #corporations #PrivateEquity #REITs #lobbying

Meet Corporate Landlords’ New Favorite Caucus | Revolving Door Project

Big Real Estate and landlord lobby groups have given large donations to the four co-founders of the Congressional Real Estate Caucus.

Revolving Door Project
@persagen
This is unsustainable. Most people will be unable to afford an apartment very soon .

@persagen
Something I'm working on is a book with my thoughts on "practical socialist housing" for turning the McMansions that popped up all over California in the last 30 years (and often now used for STRs) into socialist housing.

Things like phone and coaxial and network wiring, etc.