North America's Housing Crisis: We Need More Homes, But That's Only Half the Solution

After 14 years in Vancouver real estate, I've learned that housing affordability is about much more than supply. It's also about developers, speculation, transportation, and how we design our cities.

I’ve spent roughly 14 years working in Vancouver real estate, including working with developers and for a development company. So when people talk about the housing crisis, I have a few things to say.

First, I agree with something that might surprise some people: government regulations are a major part of the problem.

But I also think blaming everything on government red tape while pretending developers and investors have nothing to do with rising prices is ridiculous.

I’ve seen how this industry works. The problem is more complicated than either side wants to admit.

And if we’re serious about making housing affordable for working people, we need to look at the entire picture.

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Yes, Government Red Tape Is a Real Problem

Let’s start with zoning laws and development permits.