Is Canada’s life sciences and health tech sector heading toward a code red? In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack how outdated and fragmented privacy laws are slowing innovation, and why aligning too closely with European regulations could make things even worse. They explore the “Brussels effect,” where the EU’s regulatory power shapes rules far beyond Europe, and how Canada may already be feeling its impact. The conversation dives into why modern health innovation depends on large-scale data, how Canada’s patchwork of federal and provincial rules creates costly barriers, and what lessons we could learn from countries like Japan and Singapore instead. Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:44 The Brussels Effect explained03:17 Outdated health-data and privacy rules04:13 Accessing lifescience data06:00 Safety vs innovation07:40 Europe lacks tech innovation08:55 We’re already adopting EU rules09:28 Asia leads the way in healthtech data regulation Research:Health Innovation Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard<a href='https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/health-innovation-doesnt-have-to?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web'>https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/health-innovation-doesnt-have-to?utm_campaign=post&amp;utm_medium=web</a> The Draghi report on EU competitiveness<a href='https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en'>https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en</a> Hosted by <a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'>Mike Moffatt</a> &amp; <a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'>Cara Stern</a> &amp; <a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'>Sabrina Maddeaux</a> Produced by <a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'>Meredith Martin</a> This podcast is funded by the <a href='https://neptis.org/'>Neptis Foundation</a> and brought to you by the <a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'>Smart Prosperity Institute</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;Is Canada’s life sciences and health tech sector heading toward a code red? In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack how outdated and fragmented privacy laws are slowing innovation, and why aligning too closely with European regulations could make things even worse. They explore the “Brussels effect,” where the EU’s regulatory power shapes rules far beyond Europe, and how Canada may already be feeling its impact.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conversation dives into why modern health innovation depends on large-scale data, how Canada’s patchwork of federal and provincial rules creates costly barriers, and what lessons we could learn from countries like Japan and Singapore instead.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:44 The Brussels Effect explained&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:17 Outdated health-data and privacy rules&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:13 Accessing lifescience data&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:00 Safety vs innovation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:40 Europe lacks tech innovation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:55 We’re already adopting EU rules&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:28 Asia leads the way in healthtech data regulation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Health Innovation Doesn’t Have to Be This Hard&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/health-innovation-doesnt-have-to?utm_campaign=post&amp;amp;utm_medium=web'&gt;https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/health-innovation-doesnt-have-to?utm_campaign=post&amp;amp;utm_medium=web&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The Draghi report on EU competitiveness&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en'&gt;https://commission.europa.eu/topics/competitiveness/draghi-report_en&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hosted by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mike Moffatt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cara Stern&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sabrina Maddeaux&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produced by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meredith Martin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This podcast is funded by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://neptis.org/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Neptis Foundation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; and brought to you by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smart Prosperity Institute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Is Canada’s life sciences and health tech sector heading toward a code red? In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack how outdated and fragmented privacy laws are slowing innovation, and why aligning too closely with European regulations could make things even worse. They explore the “Brussels effect,” where the EU’s regulatory power shapes rules far beyond Europe, and how Canada may already be feeling its impact.   The conversation dives into why modern health innovation depe...

Fixing Canada’s Health Data Rules Without Killing Innovation 

In this episode of the Missing Middle, hosts Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down his latest “home score” report, grading every Canadian province on housing. Atlantic provinces like New Brunswick and P.E.I. lead the way, while Ontario struggles, with high costs forcing young people to stay home longer and many residents moving away. The grades are based on 36 indicators covering supply, affordability, suitability, and societal outcomes.Mike also explores housing policies that help, harm, or have little impact, from inclusionary zoning to development charges. The episode highlights how some reforms succeed, others fail, and why provinces can learn from each other. Tune in to see which policies actually work and what it will take to improve housing across Canada. Chapters:00:00 Introduction to the Provincial HOMES Report Card00:45 The best and worst provinces at housing performance02:20 36 assessment points03:39 The report methodology05:17 Avoiding harmful and irrelevant policies06:24 Provinces that have irrelevant policies perform worse09:40 Inclusionary zoning12:30 Examining the number of adult children living at home13:56 Ways in which Ontario sucks at housing15:20 Political will(not to build housing in Ontario)17:58 The levels of government can learn from each other19:03 We were hoping BC would have better results19:28 Atlantic Canada doesn’t get in it’s own way21:51 How can the provinces improve? Research/links:2025 Provincial HOMES Report Card<a href='https://open.substack.com/pub/missingmiddleinitiative/p/2025-provincial-homes-report-card?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=post%20viewer'>https://open.substack.com/pub/missingmiddleinitiative/p/2025-provincial-homes-report-card?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;utm_medium=post%20viewer</a> Modeling Inclusionary Zoning’s Impact on Housing Production in Los Angeles: Tradeoffs and Policy Implications<a href='https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Inclusionary-Zoning-Paper-April-2024-Final.pdf'>Inclusionary-Zoning-Paper-April-2024-Final.pdf</a> Hosted by <a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'>Mike Moffatt</a> &amp; <a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'>Cara Stern</a> &amp; <a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'>Sabrina Maddeaux</a> Produced by <a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'>Meredith Martin</a> This podcast is funded by the <a href='https://neptis.org/'>Neptis Foundation</a> and brought to you by the <a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'>Smart Prosperity Institute</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the Missing Middle, hosts Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down his latest “home score” report, grading every Canadian province on housing. Atlantic provinces like New Brunswick and P.E.I. lead the way, while Ontario struggles, with high costs forcing young people to stay home longer and many residents moving away. The grades are based on 36 indicators covering supply, affordability, suitability, and societal outcomes.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Mike also explores housing policies that help, harm, or have little impact, from inclusionary zoning to development charges. The episode highlights how some reforms succeed, others fail, and why provinces can learn from each other. Tune in to see which policies actually work and what it will take to improve housing across Canada.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction to the Provincial HOMES Report Card&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:45 The best and worst provinces at housing performance&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:20 36 assessment points&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:39 The report methodology&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:17 Avoiding harmful and irrelevant policies&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:24 Provinces that have irrelevant policies perform worse&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:40 Inclusionary zoning&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:30 Examining the number of adult children living at home&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:56 Ways in which Ontario sucks at housing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:20 Political will(not to build housing in Ontario)&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;17:58 The levels of government can learn from each other&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;19:03 We were hoping BC would have better results&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;19:28 Atlantic Canada doesn’t get in it’s own way&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;21:51 How can the provinces improve?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research/links:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;2025 Provincial HOMES Report Card&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://open.substack.com/pub/missingmiddleinitiative/p/2025-provincial-homes-report-card?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;amp;utm_medium=post%20viewer'&gt;https://open.substack.com/pub/missingmiddleinitiative/p/2025-provincial-homes-report-card?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&amp;amp;utm_medium=post%20viewer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Modeling Inclusionary Zoning’s Impact on Housing Production in Los Angeles: Tradeoffs and Policy Implications&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://ternercenter.berkeley.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/Inclusionary-Zoning-Paper-April-2024-Final.pdf'&gt;Inclusionary-Zoning-Paper-April-2024-Final.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hosted by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mike Moffatt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cara Stern&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sabrina Maddeaux&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produced by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meredith Martin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This podcast is funded by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://neptis.org/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Neptis Foundation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; and brought to you by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smart Prosperity Institute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of the Missing Middle, hosts Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down his latest “home score” report, grading every Canadian province on housing. Atlantic provinces like New Brunswick and P.E.I. lead the way, while Ontario struggles, with high costs forcing young people to stay home longer and many residents moving away. The grades are based on 36 indicators covering supply, affordability, suitability, and societal outcomes. Mike also explores housing policies that help, harm, o...

Grading Provinces on Housing: Who Earned an A and Who Deserves Detention?

In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age are now earning more than men aged 25–34. They explain how seniors’ incomes have increased through pensions, investments, and government supports, while younger workers face slow wage growth, higher living costs, and inflation.The discussion explores key issues affecting younger generations in Canada, including housing affordability, childcare costs, wage stagnation, and intergenerational inequality. Sabrina and Mike talk about why young men are struggling in today’s economy, what this means for Canada’s workforce, and how policy changes could help.Chapters:00:00 Introduction00:42 New report shows young men earn less than senior men02:00 Senior men incomes have doubled since 1970s02:24 Young men’s incomes are down since the 1970s03:21 Where is the extra senior income coming from?05:53 The role of government transfers and entitlements07:30 Breaking down younger men’s incomes09:44 Housing have increased far faster than inflation since 197711:11 Why have wages gone down for young men?13:31 social taboos around talking about young men17:09 Concluding thoughts Research Links:What Happened to the Young Middle-Class Man?<a href='https://substack.com/home/post/p-181132084?source=queue'>https://substack.com/home/post/p-181132084?source=queue</a> How Do Young Men See the World? We Asked Them.<a href='https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a63613007/young-men-america-2025/'>https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a63613007/young-men-america-2025/</a> Hosted by <a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'>Mike Moffatt</a> &amp; <a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'>Cara Stern</a> &amp; <a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'>Sabrina Maddeaux</a> Produced by <a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'>Meredith Martin</a> This podcast is funded by the <a href='https://neptis.org/'>Neptis Foundation</a> and brought to you by the <a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'>Smart Prosperity Institute</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age are now earning more than men aged 25–34. They explain how seniors’ incomes have increased through pensions, investments, and government supports, while younger workers face slow wage growth, higher living costs, and inflation.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The discussion explores key issues affecting younger generations in Canada, including housing affordability, childcare costs, wage stagnation, and intergenerational inequality. Sabrina and Mike talk about why young men are struggling in today’s economy, what this means for Canada’s workforce, and how policy changes could help.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:42 New report shows young men earn less than senior men&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:00 Senior men incomes have doubled since 1970s&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:24 Young men’s incomes are down since the 1970s&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:21 Where is the extra senior income coming from?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:53 The role of government transfers and entitlements&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:30 Breaking down younger men’s incomes&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:44 Housing have increased far faster than inflation since 1977&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:11 Why have wages gone down for young men?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:31 social taboos around talking about young men&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;17:09 Concluding thoughts&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research Links:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;What Happened to the Young Middle-Class Man?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://substack.com/home/post/p-181132084?source=queue'&gt;https://substack.com/home/post/p-181132084?source=queue&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;How Do Young Men See the World? We Asked Them.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a63613007/young-men-america-2025/'&gt;https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a63613007/young-men-america-2025/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hosted by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mike Moffatt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cara Stern&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sabrina Maddeaux&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produced by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meredith Martin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This podcast is funded by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://neptis.org/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Neptis Foundation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; and brought to you by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smart Prosperity Institute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age are now earning more than men aged 25–34. They explain how seniors’ incomes have increased through pensions, investments, and government supports, while younger workers face slow wage growth, higher living costs, and inflation. The discussion explores key issues affecting younger generations in Canada, including housing affordability, chi...

Are We Ignoring a Generation of Struggling Young Men?

This episode of the Missing Middle podcast explores a <a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BK6jNy9jqCXS0c7PYakrkSqoFxJY2XCS/view'>new University of Toronto study</a> that highlights housing affordability as a key factor in declining fertility rates in the United States. Hosts Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern analyze the findings, including the study’s estimate that over half of the fertility decline since 1990 is linked to the shortage of affordable, family-sized homes—resulting in 13 million fewer births. They discuss how delayed household formation, smaller living spaces, and rising costs for family-appropriate housing all contribute, and why similar trends are probably occurring in Canada, especially in high-cost provinces like Ontario and B.C. The conversation also addresses misconceptions about fertility, critiques the “all supply is good supply” argument, and examines the structural barriers preventing cities from building enough three- and four-bedroom homes. Mike and Cara explore how unsuitable housing impacts families, newcomers, and children, how municipal regulations add to the shortage, and why resolving this issue requires major zoning, planning, and building-code reforms—rather than simply telling young people to “lower their standards.” Chapters:00:00 Introduction 00:40 Examining a U of T study on fertility and housing affordability01:40 51% of the decline in fertility rate is attributed to lack of housing03:52 Unpacking housing affordability and Canada’s fertility rate05:02 Cara highlights a viewer comment about the cause of fertility decline08:50 Society needs younger generations to grow not shrink09:20 Mike outlines the human right to housing12:45 Who is more likely to be living in unsuitable housing?14:18 Children are more likely to be underhoused16:12 All supply is good supply - but is it?18:50 Consequences of not providing enough housing in cities22:50 Or/and we could build our cities up Research Links:Build, Baby, Build: How Housing Shapes Fertility<a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BK6jNy9jqCXS0c7PYakrkSqoFxJY2XCS/view?usp=sharing'>BKC_JMP.pdf</a><a href='https://www.cardus.ca/research/family/reports/she-s-not-having-a-baby/'>She&apos;s (Not) Having a Baby | Cardus</a><a href='https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/families-are-outgrowing-our-cities'>Families Are Outgrowing Our Cities, and the Law Says They Shouldn’t Have To</a><a href='https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/industry-innovation-and-leadership/industry-expertise/affordable-housing/provincial-territorial-agreements/investment-in-affordable-housing/national-occupancy-standard'>National Occupancy Standard | CMHC</a> Hosted by <a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'>Mike Moffatt</a> &amp; <a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'>Cara Stern</a> &amp; <a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'>Sabrina Maddeaux</a> Produced by <a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'>Meredith Martin</a> This podcast is funded by the <a href='https://neptis.org/'>Neptis Foundation</a> and brought to you by the <a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'>Smart Prosperity Institute</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;This episode of the Missing Middle podcast explores a &lt;a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BK6jNy9jqCXS0c7PYakrkSqoFxJY2XCS/view'&gt;new University of Toronto study&lt;/a&gt; that highlights housing affordability as a key factor in declining fertility rates in the United States. Hosts Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern analyze the findings, including the study’s estimate that over half of the fertility decline since 1990 is linked to the shortage of affordable, family-sized homes—resulting in 13 million fewer births. They discuss how delayed household formation, smaller living spaces, and rising costs for family-appropriate housing all contribute, and why similar trends are probably occurring in Canada, especially in high-cost provinces like Ontario and B.C. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The conversation also addresses misconceptions about fertility, critiques the “all supply is good supply” argument, and examines the structural barriers preventing cities from building enough three- and four-bedroom homes. Mike and Cara explore how unsuitable housing impacts families, newcomers, and children, how municipal regulations add to the shortage, and why resolving this issue requires major zoning, planning, and building-code reforms—rather than simply telling young people to “lower their standards.”&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:40 Examining a U of T study on fertility and housing affordability&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:40 51% of the decline in fertility rate is attributed to lack of housing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;03:52 Unpacking housing affordability and Canada’s fertility rate&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:02 Cara highlights a viewer comment about the cause of fertility decline&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:50 Society needs younger generations to grow not shrink&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;09:20 Mike outlines the human right to housing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;12:45 Who is more likely to be living in unsuitable housing?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;14:18 Children are more likely to be underhoused&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;16:12 All supply is good supply - but is it?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;18:50 Consequences of not providing enough housing in cities&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;22:50 Or/and we could build our cities up&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research Links:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Build, Baby, Build: How Housing Shapes Fertility&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BK6jNy9jqCXS0c7PYakrkSqoFxJY2XCS/view?usp=sharing'&gt;BKC_JMP.pdf&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.cardus.ca/research/family/reports/she-s-not-having-a-baby/'&gt;She&amp;apos;s (Not) Having a Baby | Cardus&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/p/families-are-outgrowing-our-cities'&gt;Families Are Outgrowing Our Cities, and the Law Says They Shouldn’t Have To&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.cmhc-schl.gc.ca/professionals/industry-innovation-and-leadership/industry-expertise/affordable-housing/provincial-territorial-agreements/investment-in-affordable-housing/national-occupancy-standard'&gt;National Occupancy Standard | CMHC&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hosted by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mike Moffatt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cara Stern&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sabrina Maddeaux&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produced by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meredith Martin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This podcast is funded by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://neptis.org/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Neptis Foundation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; and brought to you by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smart Prosperity Institute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

This episode of the Missing Middle podcast explores a new University of Toronto study that highlights housing affordability as a key factor in declining fertility rates in the United States. Hosts Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern analyze the findings, including the study’s estimate that over half of the fertility decline since 1990 is linked to the shortage of affordable, family-sized homes—resulting in 13 million fewer births. They discuss how delayed household formation, smaller living spaces, a...

How Housing Prices Shape Families

The conversation highlights the pressing issue of intergenerational tensions in Canada, particularly focusing on the financial burdens faced by younger Canadians. Sabrina discusses the potential consequences of failing to address these issues, including the risk to public healthcare and the erosion of political support for senior programs. The need for a modernized fiscal system that is equitable for all generations is emphasized as a critical solution to prevent further societal breakdown. Chapters00:00 Introduction 01:07 Are seniors struggling economically?02:34 Shout out to Generation Squeeze02:52 Breaking down who benefits from government spending04:00 How Gen z and Millennials are fairing05:18 Intergenerational wealth transfer from old to young06:00 Shout out to Boom, Bust and Echo07:00 Senior citizen tax advantages08:40 Redesigning our fiscal system for generational fairness11:44 Good policy doesn’t always make good politics13:00 What happens if we don’t fix this?15:00 Less intergenerational fight club more intergenerational cooperation Research/links:<a href='https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/campaign-2000-national-report-card-child-poverty-1.7387176'>After years of decline, child poverty in Canada is rising swiftly: report</a>Generation Squeeze:<a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/'> https://www.gensqueeze.ca</a>Paul Kershaw&apos;s &quot;Hard Truths&quot; podcast:<a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/video'> https://www.gensqueeze.ca/video</a><a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/who_is_asked_to_sacrifice_in_budget_2025'>Who is being asked to sacrifice in Budget 2025?</a><a href='https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/young-money/article-recent-health-care-deal-is-a-win-for-retirees-the-finances-of-younger/'>Recent health care deal is a win for retirees. The finances of younger Canadians are collateral damage</a><a href='https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-how-younger-canadians-end-up-paying-more-for-boomers-medical-care/'>How younger Canadians end up paying more for boomers&apos; medical care</a><a href='https://macleans.ca/society/life/seniors-and-the-generation-spending-gap/'>Seniors and the generation spending gap</a><a href='https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/wealth-transfer-inequality-1trillion-1.7462837'>A trillion-dollar tsunami: Canadians grapple with unprecedented wealth transfer</a>Canadian Institute of Health Information - National Health Expenditure Trends:<a href='https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-health-expenditure-trends'> https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-health-expenditure-trends</a> Hosted by <a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'>Mike Moffatt</a> &amp; <a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'>Cara Stern</a> &amp; <a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'>Sabrina Maddeaux</a> Produced by <a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'>Meredith Martin</a> This podcast is funded by the <a href='https://neptis.org/'>Neptis Foundation</a> and brought to you by the <a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'>Smart Prosperity Institute</a>.

<description>&lt;p&gt;The conversation highlights the pressing issue of intergenerational tensions in Canada, particularly focusing on the financial burdens faced by younger Canadians. Sabrina discusses the potential consequences of failing to address these issues, including the risk to public healthcare and the erosion of political support for senior programs. The need for a modernized fiscal system that is equitable for all generations is emphasized as a critical solution to prevent further societal breakdown.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Chapters&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;00:00 Introduction &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:07 Are seniors struggling economically?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:34 Shout out to Generation Squeeze&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;02:52 Breaking down who benefits from government spending&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;04:00 How Gen z and Millennials are fairing&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;05:18 Intergenerational wealth transfer from old to young&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;06:00 Shout out to Boom, Bust and Echo&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;07:00 Senior citizen tax advantages&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;08:40 Redesigning our fiscal system for generational fairness&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;11:44 Good policy doesn’t always make good politics&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;13:00 What happens if we don’t fix this?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;15:00 Less intergenerational fight club more intergenerational cooperation&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Research/links:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/campaign-2000-national-report-card-child-poverty-1.7387176'&gt;After years of decline, child poverty in Canada is rising swiftly: report&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Generation Squeeze:&lt;a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/'&gt; https://www.gensqueeze.ca&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Paul Kershaw&amp;apos;s &amp;quot;Hard Truths&amp;quot; podcast:&lt;a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/video'&gt; https://www.gensqueeze.ca/video&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.gensqueeze.ca/who_is_asked_to_sacrifice_in_budget_2025'&gt;Who is being asked to sacrifice in Budget 2025?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/personal-finance/young-money/article-recent-health-care-deal-is-a-win-for-retirees-the-finances-of-younger/'&gt;Recent health care deal is a win for retirees. The finances of younger Canadians are collateral damage&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.theglobeandmail.com/investing/article-how-younger-canadians-end-up-paying-more-for-boomers-medical-care/'&gt;How younger Canadians end up paying more for boomers&amp;apos; medical care&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://macleans.ca/society/life/seniors-and-the-generation-spending-gap/'&gt;Seniors and the generation spending gap&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/wealth-transfer-inequality-1trillion-1.7462837'&gt;A trillion-dollar tsunami: Canadians grapple with unprecedented wealth transfer&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Canadian Institute of Health Information - National Health Expenditure Trends:&lt;a href='https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-health-expenditure-trends'&gt; https://www.cihi.ca/en/national-health-expenditure-trends&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Hosted by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Mike Moffatt&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/carastern'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Cara Stern&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &amp;amp; &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Sabrina Maddeaux&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Produced by &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://twitter.com/meredithmartin'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Meredith Martin&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;This podcast is funded by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://neptis.org/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Neptis Foundation&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; and brought to you by the &lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://institute.smartprosperity.ca/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Smart Prosperity Institute&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt;.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

The conversation highlights the pressing issue of intergenerational tensions in Canada, particularly focusing on the financial burdens faced by younger Canadians. Sabrina discusses the potential consequences of failing to address these issues, including the risk to public healthcare and the erosion of political support for senior programs. The need for a modernized fiscal system that is equitable for all generations is emphasized as a critical solution to prevent further societal breakdown.  ...

Are Boomers Bankrupting the Future?

Welcome to the Missing Middle, a podcast about why the middle class in Canada is disappearing. We hope to help you understand why life is becoming unaffordable for so many in this country, and what can be done to reverse course.

The Missing Middle with Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux

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