The Missing Middle Podcast

Hosted by Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin

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Episodes

217

Latest episode

Oct 2026

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EN-CA

About the show

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.

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October 16, 2026Episode 21523 min

Housing Promises: What Works, What Doesn’t, and What’s Missing

With election day approaching across Ontario, are mayoral candidates offering real solutions to the housing crisis, or just slogans? Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt examine housing platforms from candidates in nine Ontario cities to see which proposals could actually make homes more affordable for middle-class families, renters, and first-time homebuyers. They break down the policies that could make a difference, the promises that need more scrutiny, and the municipal decisions that are shaping the future of housing in Ontario. In this episode: What's missing from candidates' housing plans? Why concrete targets, timelines, and realistic funding matter. Mississauga's property tax proposal: Would allowing seniors to defer property taxes help homeowners, or create new costs for taxpayers? Toronto's land transfer tax: Could cutting the tax help families move into homes that better suit their needs, and how would the city replace the lost revenue? Windsor's fourplex debate: What happens when municipal leaders oppose policies that could allow more homes to be built? Oshawa and Guelph's housing plans: Can faster approvals, lower development charges, and more flexible zoning improve affordability? The case for family-sized homes: Why building more housing means more than hitting unit targets, and why young families need more options. What good housing policy looks like: Mike shares the municipal reforms he would prioritize, from streamlining approvals to making starter homes cheaper to build. The big question: Can good housing policy win elections, and are municipal politicians willing to make the changes needed to help the next generation afford a home? Chapters: 00:00 - Introduction: Analyzing Ontario’s Municipal Housing Platforms 00:50 - What to Look For in a Middle-Class Housing Plan 02:23 - Initial Reactions & "Where’s the Beef?" 03:04 - Property Tax Deferrals for Seniors: Good or Bad Policy? 06:30 - Land Transfer Taxes: Removing Barriers to Moving 08:46 - Strong Mayor Powers & The Fourplex Veto Debate 10:34 - Development Charges & Streamlining Approvals in Oshawa 12:31 - Density on Arterials vs. Neighbourhood Infill 14:59 - The Student Housing Crisis in Southwestern Ontario 16:35 - Core Principles for a Real Municipal Housing Vision 18:50 - Key Policies: Form-Based Zoning, AI Approvals, & Tax Reform 21:37 - Does Good Housing Policy Actually Win Elections? Research/links: https://www.thestar.com/real-estate/why-toronto-s-next-council-could-be-decided-by-renters/article_24997d4c-28a5-4250-ab38-e5c7203c8252.html https://www.alvintedjo.ca/affordability https://chewforguelph.ca/priorities/ https://bradford26.ca/news/brad-bradford-toronto-mayor-will-eliminate-torontos-land-transfer-tax-for-the-average-homebuyer https://www.ctvnews.ca/windsor/article/dilkens-vows-to-use-strong-mayor-powers-to-block-fourplex-changes-if-re-elected-francis-calls-it-fear-mongering/#:~:text=Dilkens%20vows%20to%20use%20strong%20mayor%20powers,Dilkens%20(right).%20(%20Sanjay%20Maru%2FCTV%20News%20Windsor) Credits: Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social Sean Foreman @seanegertonforeman https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social Canadian Civil youtube.com/CanadianCivil Co-op Student Francis Gabriel Carmona Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

October 14, 2026Episode 21416 min

Stealing From the Future: The High Cost of Senior Benefits

In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down why political promises to give "more money to seniors" actually enrich Canada's wealthiest demographic, the myth that retirees "paid into" Old Age Security, how brutal child benefit clawbacks contrast with generous senior write-offs, and how taking money from young workers is quietly hurting the economy. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Problem with “More Money for Seniors” 00:02:53 How OAS Works & Why Income Thresholds Matter 00:04:36 The Conservative Payout Plan 00:05:41 Seniors vs. Struggling Young Families 00:08:32 Generational Theft & Economic Drag 00:10:03 Why Politicians Pandering to Boomers Always Win 00:13:23 We’ll Be $3 Trillion in Debt and Still Giving Discretionary Handouts 00:14:37 Stop Giving Wealthy Retirees Welfare RESEARCH LINKS: Sabrina Maddeaux column (National Post) — https://nationalpost.com/opinion/sabrina-maddeaux-conservatives-lose-the-plot-with-pitch-for-higher-old-age-security Old Age Security — overview, amounts, and clawback thresholds (Government of Canada): https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/publicpensions/cpp/old-age-security.html Canada Child Benefit — income thresholds and calculation: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/canada-child-benefit-overview.html Parliamentary Budget Officer — fiscal analysis of seniors benefits and OAS projections: https://www.pbo-dpb.ca Generation Squeeze — generational fairness and intergenerational transfers: https://www.gensqueeze.ca Net wealth data: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/241029/t001a-eng.htm Poverty data: https://www.statcan.gc.ca/en/topics-start/poverty Parliamentary Budget Office costing: https://www.pbo-dpb.ca/en/epc-estimates--estimations-cpe/45/EL-45-1031563-P Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

October 7, 2026Episode 21218 min

The "Empty Land" Myth: Why Canada Can’t Just Sprout New Cities

In this episode of Classonomics, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down whether creating brand-new cities can actually solve Canada’s housing affordability crisis, how our metropolitan numbers compare globally, the failed history of planned-city experiments like Ontario's Townsend and Australia's Monarto, and why central planning can't replace the organic economic realities that make cities thrive. Chapters: 00:00 Why Doesn’t Canada Build New Cities? 01:23 Canada Is Already Creating New Cities 03:10 Why Smaller Canadian Cities Are Growing Faster 04:37 Does Canada Actually Need More Cities? 09:20 Why Canada’s New City Plans Keep Failing 14:20 Can the Free Market Create New Cities? 16:20 Why Moving People Won’t Solve the Housing Crisis Research: UK New towns: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_towns_in_the_United_Kingdom Townsend: https://haldimandpress.com/townsend-the-metropolitan-city-that-never-was/ Monarto: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarto,_South_Australia Credits: Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social Sabrina Maddeaux https://x.com/SabrinaMaddeaux Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social Sean Foreman @seanegertonforeman https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social University Of Ottawa Co-op Student Francis Gabriel Carmona Funded by the Neptis Foundation https://neptis.org/ Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/ Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

October 6, 2026Episode 21359 min

What Happens When an Outsider Runs for Party Leader? | Eric Lombardi

We often talk about how politics caters to seniors at the expense of young people, and that part of the cure is to get more young voices into politics. But what actually happens when a young outsider puts their name on the ballot for a major party leadership position? In this episode of Answer Period, former Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Eric Lombardi joins us for a candid conversation about his outsider campaign, navigating the tension between sound-bite politics and deep policy, and the double-edged sword of social media in modern campaigns. We'll dive into the harsh realities facing young political outsiders, what it truly takes to challenge the establishment, and key takeaways for the next generation of leaders looking to make a real impact. Credits: Mike Moffatt https://twitter.com/MikePMoffatt https://bsky.app/profile/mikepmoffatt.bsky.social Cara Stern https://x.com/carastern https://bsky.app/profile/carastern.bsky.social Meredith Martin https://twitter.com/meredithmartin https://bsky.app/profile/meredithmartin.bsky.social Sean Foreman @seanegertonforeman https://bsky.app/profile/seanforeman.bsky.social Canadian Civil youtube.com/CanadianCivil Co-op Student Francis Gabriel Carmona Brought to you by the Missing Middle Initiative https://www.missingmiddleinitiative.ca/ Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

October 2, 2026Episode 21122 min

Is the Housing Crisis Radicalizing Young Voters?

Housing affordability is increasingly shaping how young people think about politics, political parties, and the future of democracy. On this episode of DemograFix, Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern explore what research tells us about the relationship between the housing crisis and young people's political views across North America, Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. Does declining housing affordability deepen the divide between younger and older voters? Is it pushing young people away from centrist parties, or toward the left or right? And what happens when an entire generation starts to lose faith in its ability to ever own a home? Mike puts six statements about housing and politics to Cara, drawing on academic research and polling data to explore how housing affordability is reshaping political priorities, polarization, voter engagement, and the desire for homeownership. Chapters: 00:00 Housing Affordability Is a Global Crisis 01:26 Could the Housing Crisis Radicalize Young Voters? 03:45 Is Housing Widening the Generational Political Divide? 06:24 Is the Housing Crisis Polarizing Young Voters? 10:12 Is Housing Pushing Young People Left or Right? 13:11 How Housing Is Creating a New Class Divide 17:12 Is the Housing Crisis Driving Political Disengagement? 19:38 Do Young People Still Want to Own a Home? Research/links: The Dangerous Disillusionment of Young Canadians https://macleans.ca/politics/the-dangerous-disillusionment-of-young-canadians/ How to lose friends and alienate people: The social and political consequences of Europe’s housing crisis: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/17816858241274918 Three inconvenient truths:How to stop housing radicalising the young and killing the political centre https://www.martenscentre.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/5.pdf Economy and Space piece https://pureadmin.qub.ac.uk/ws/files/241804034/0308518x211022363.pdf What drives support for large-scale housing reform? https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19491247.2026.2630075 Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

October 1, 2026Episode 21117 min

Bank of Canada’s Carolyn Rogers on Productivity, Trade-offs, and Housing

Join us for an exclusive post-speech interview with Bank of Canada Senior Deputy Governor Carolyn Rogers following her address to the Greater Victoria Chamber of Commerce and CFA Society Victoria. In this conversation, Rogers sits down to unpack her frank speech on Canada's housing affordability dilemma. We discuss why interest rates are too blunt of a tool to fix housing, how Canada's heavy reliance on residential real estate impacts our national productivity, and what regulatory stress tests actually achieved versus what they couldn't fix. Plus, we dive into the trade-offs of measuring shelter costs in the CPI and what it will genuinely take to untangle the Canadian economy from the housing trap. Research: Canada’s housing market / Le marché canadien du logement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C9jD5xQJdM Canada’s mortgage market—A question of balance Remarksby Carolyn Rogers at the Economic Club of Canada, November 6, 2024 https://www.bankofcanada.ca/2024/11/canadas-mortgage-market-a-question-of-balance/ Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

September 30, 2026Episode 21022 min

Paying In, Locked Out: Why EI Fails Young People

In this episode of Classonomics , Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt examine how Canada’s outdated Employment Insurance model leaves young professionals and gig workers behind during record spikes in youth unemployment. They explore why current rules penalize urban renters, how maximum benefits fall short of basic living costs, and what practical policy reforms could fix the system for the modern workforce. Chapters: 00:00 Canada’s EI System Wasn’t Built for Today’s Workers 01:02 How Employment Insurance Became Outdated 02:16 How EI Eligibility Actually Works 03:10 Why Young Workers Are Falling Through the EI Gaps 06:23 EI Doesn’t Cover Most Gig Workers 07:38 The EI Rules That Punish Short-Term Jobs 09:24 What Happens When EI Runs Out? 11:11 Why Ottawa’s EI Fixes Aren’t Helping Young Workers 15:03 EI Benefits Don’t Go Very Far in Toronto 17:42 How We Could Actually Fix Employment Insurance Research: Statistics Canada - Employment Insurance Coverage Survey, 2024 (youth eligibility 50.3%, part-time 41.6%): https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/251029/dq251029a-eng.htm Statistics Canada - Labour Force Survey, July 2026 (youth unemployment 12.6%): https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/260807/dq260807a-eng.htm Service Canada - EI regular benefits eligibility and the qualifying period rule: https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/eligibility.html Service Canada - EI benefit amount (55%, $729 weekly max, $68,900 MIE for 2026): https://www.canada.ca/en/services/benefits/ei/ei-regular-benefit/benefit-amount.html ESDC Digest of Benefit Entitlement Principles - long-tenured worker definition and 20 extra weeks: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/digest/chapter-1/extend-benefit-period.html ESDC - EI Monitoring and Assessment Report 2024-25, Chapter 2 (34.4% entitlement exhaustion rate): https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/monitoring2025/chapter2.html Canada Gazette SOR/2026-64 - 25.4% of unemployed were long-term unemployed in January 2026: https://gazette.gc.ca/rp-pr/p2/2026/2026-04-08/html/sor-dors64-eng.html Rentals.ca March 2026 Rent Report - Toronto one-bedroom asking rent $2,206: https://rentals.ca/blog/rentals-ca-march-2026-rent-report Statistics Canada - Experiences of self-employed workers in Canada, 2023: https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240603/dq240603b-eng.htm Canada Employment Insurance Commission - 2026 premium rate and $17.2B Operating Account deficit: https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/programs/ei/ei-list/reports/premium/rates2026.html ESDC - EI modernization consultations, Phase 2 What We Heard report (2022): https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/news/2022/09/government-of-canada-releases-report-on-phase-2-of-the-employment-insurance-modernization-consultations.html IRPP - Canada's EI Is Once Again Failing Its Stress Test (benefit exhaustion as the coverage driver): https://irpp.org/research-studies/ei-failing-stress/ C.D. Howe Institute - Should gig workers be covered by the EI regime? (the case against): https://cdhowe.org/publication/providing-gig-workers-ei-no-easy-answer/ Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

September 25, 2026Episode 20918 min

Can Egg Freezing Really Delay Your Biological Clock?

As life milestones like finishing school, buying a house, and getting married get pushed further into our 30s, biology remains the one deadline that refuses to bend. In this episode of DemograFix, hosts Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern take a deep dive into the business, economics, and realities of egg freezing, sparked by U.S. Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) publicly sharing her own fertility journey. Mike and Cara discuss how skyrocketing housing prices, student debt, and extended education force modern life choices to clash directly with biological clocks. They break down what real-world data shows about live birth success rates, explain why calling the procedure an insurance policy is deeply misleading, and unpack the steep financial burden and physical toll involved. While egg freezing gives many people options and extra time, this episode asks the bigger question of whether medical technology can truly fix the broader structural economic problems delaying family life today. Chapters: 00:00 - Intro: Delayed Milestones and Biological Realities 00:42 - AOC’s Journey & Public Misconceptions Around Egg Freezing 01:52 - Why Economic Factors Are Pushing Fertility Later 03:58 - Corporate Benefits: Workplace Culture vs. True Solutions 05:12 - The Emotional and Physical Reality of the Process 07:12 - High-Pressure Marketing and "Insurance Policy" Claims 09:50 - What the Data Actually Says About Success Rates 12:11 - Ideal Ages vs. Realities of When People Freeze Eggs 13:28 - Financial Costs and Lack of Public Coverage 15:12 - Common Myths About Aging Eggs and Fertility 16:15 - The Need for Clinic Transparency and Industry Regulation 17:20 - Conclusion: Fix Structural Causes, Not Just Biological Clocks Research/links: CARTR Plus Annual Report 2025 https://cfas.ca/_Library/CARTR/2025_CARTR_annual_report_CFAS_2024_Data_.pdf Fertility Inc - Investigative Journalism Bureau https://ijb.utoronto.ca/projects/fertility-inc/ Elective Egg Freezing for Age-Related Fertility Decline https://www.cmaj.ca/content/192/6/E142 Mount Sinai Fertility - What to know about egg freezing https://mountsinaifertility.com/2025/03/28/what-to-know-about-egg-freezing/ With Big Choices Ahead, Ocasio-Cortez Navigates New Territory https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/us/politics/with-big-choices-ahead-ocasio-cortez-navigates-new-territory.html Ocasio-Cortez’s decision riles some on right, while also winning admiration https://thehill.com/homenews/campaign/6030686-aoc-egg-freezing-controversy/ AOC's egg-freezing posts on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aoc And her TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@aoc Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

September 23, 2026Episode 20845 min

Dragon’s Den Legend Reacts To Today’s Squeezed Economy: Interview with David Chilton

In this episode of Classonomics, host Mike Moffatt sits down with financial advice guru David Chilton, author of the Canadian classic The Wealthy Barber and former co-host of Dragon's Den . Decades after his original bestseller offered foundational advice to young Canadians, Chilton reflects on how drastically the economic landscape has shifted, and why writing his updated edition proved far more challenging. The conversation dives deep into the realities facing young adults today, from ubiquitous credit and skyrocketing housing costs to the inflation rates hit hardest by major life stages. Chilton and Moffatt dissect the underlying factors behind housing unaffordability, such as stubborn land costs and municipal development fees, while addressing the growing "brain drain" of talent moving away from expensive urban centers. They also evaluate whether renting and investing the difference in broad-market, low-cost ETFs can outperform traditional homeownership, the dangers of online sports gambling among young men, and how older generations truly feel about housing value trade-offs. Finally, Chilton shares actionable, practical guidance tailored for three groups: policy recommendations for economic productivity, non-financial advice on staying optimistic for recent graduates, and smart pre-retirement steps for mid-career professionals. Chapters: Pop up video around 8:55 - mcmansions ep https://youtu.be/doxJHEqiuV0?si=kIU6rVuB_fsCGNaZ Research links: The Wealthy Barber 2025 Indigo Exclusive: The Fully Updated All-Time Canadian Classic https://www.indigo.ca/products/the-wealthy-barber-2025-indigo-exclusive The Wealthy Barber https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wealthy_Barber https://thewealthybarber.com/ Steve Saretsky: Canadian Real Estate—CRAZY Times Have Led to CRAZY Times | TWB Podcast #26 https://youtu.be/C_KaFwUPvkM Why Developers Only Seem to Build McMansions https://youtu.be/doxJHEqiuV0?si=nqMJgAb9jNlT4e4Y Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

September 18, 2026Episode 20722 min

Why Everyone Is Fighting Over Bike Lanes

How did bike lanes become the ultimate political wedge issue? In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern sits down with Tom Babin, urban cycling advocate and creator of the YouTube channel Shifter, to break down the growing "bike-lash" across Canada and the U.S. From provincial overrides in Ontario and Alberta to the culture wars dividing suburban drivers and downtown commuters, we explore why bike infrastructure generates such intense debate. We dive into the math behind induced demand, the reality of winter cycling, why "road diets" actually work, and how cities can design better, safer streets for everyone. Chapters: 00:00:00 The Bike Lane Culture War 00:03:10 Bike Lanes & Politics: Evidence vs. Fact 00:05:03 How Amalgamation Ruined Everything 00:06:29 Do Anti-Bike Policies Actually Win Votes? 00:08:11 Why Biking Belongs on Both Sides of Politics 00:09:22 Debunking the "Empty Bike Lane" Myth 00:11:03 Why Pro-Bike Campaigns Are Failing in Suburbs 00:12:48 Ravine Trails vs. Real Urban Mobility 00:14:27 Do Winter Bike Lanes Actually Work? 00:15:54 The "One More Lane" Traffic Fallacy 00:17:47 Why Canadian Cities Build Bad Infrastructure 00:19:50 The "Road Diet" Fix Research/links: Ontario just made a ruling that could inform bike lane removal cases across Canada Removing bike lanes will cost at least $48M: city staff report Government of Alberta: Report concerns about bike lanes Edmonton council approves $100M for bike infrastructure across city Washington State’s new bicycle “Safety Stop” law allows people biking to treat stops signs as yield signs with some exceptions. Guest Tom Babin's official urban cycling and commuting YouTube channel Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

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