Eric Lombardi 🇨🇦🚀🏗️
@EricDLombardi
A thoughtful guy in fintech. Champion of progress. YIMBY @moreneighbours Toronto. Writes in @TheHubCanada @TorontoStar 🏳️🌈🇨🇦🌐🏗🏙
Not for anything, but the collapse of Ontario’s condo sector is an Ontario problem. The only federal intervention necessary is Carney telling Ford to do his job and implement tax reform and the recommendations of his own housing task force.
#topoli #cdnpoli Our shoebox condo market is finally crumbling. Mark Carney should be the least surprised of all of us. But saving a speculation-fueled industry is the last thing he needs to do right now. thestar.com/opinion/contri… via @torontostar
I agree with @JohnLorinc on this. Big developers don’t need a bailout. Focus on broader tax, permitting, and land use reforms that enable greater focus on the end users of housing, not investors. Developers will need to learn to sell units that buyers want *to live in*.
#topoli #cdnpoli Our shoebox condo market is finally crumbling. Mark Carney should be the least surprised of all of us. But saving a speculation-fueled industry is the last thing he needs to do right now. thestar.com/opinion/contri… via @torontostar
The economic potential of immigration does *not* lie in coddling businesses whose margins rely on low-cost labour. Giving provinces more immigration powers to pander to those businesses contributes to the regulatory hodgepodge we should be working against. theglobeandmail.com/politics/opini…
City Council just passed my motion to waive fees on sixplexes, making it easier to build affordable, family-friendly housing in every neighbourhood. Proud to move this forward with support from @JoshMatlow and Mayor Olivia Chow. jamaalmyers.com/six-plexes #TOpoli #HousingCrisis
It’s hard to describe how much the prevailing attitude of Toronto’s leadership holds our growth and prosperity back. Our leaders only compare themselves to cities a fraction our size. This clearly affects the ambition we see out of city hall. The greater Vancouver area has…
"I really don't know why they want to pick this fight with us," Carroll says of the federal government. "We are bigger than the city of Vancouver by the size of Montreal. So if you take all the area where sixplexes currently are as-of-right, it exceeds any other city in Canada."
What makes Doug Ford one of the most interesting political operators in Ontario’s history is that he can manage this level of popularity after 8+ years in power and a pretty underwhelming governance record. It humbles me, personally, as a reminder that I’m not that in-touch.
NEW: @abacusdataca poll in the @TorontoStar: @OntarioPCParty: 50% @OntLiberal: 28% @OntarioNDP: 13% @OntarioGreens: 6% #onpoli thestar.com/politics/provi…
👏 Let’s get these built and people out our streets and parks. To those against shelters: If you want fewer shelters in Toronto, then all housing will need to be more affordable.
And the shelter item as amended CARRIES 22-3. All six sites will go forward.
Homebuilding is 7% of Employment in Ontario. So when we see that starts are falling 60%+ in cities like Toronto, it is a very bad omen for the direction of employment a year from now.
I know no one is crying for builders & developers (though I'd hope you'd feel for the workers), but this downturn is having large negative impacts on our economy, on tax revenue, and will harm our ability to build more homes in the future. theglobeandmail.com/business/artic…
Very happy to see @CllrAmberMorley defending a 50-bed shelter for seniors in her own ward. Moving things forward, rather than finding excuses to delay, is the leadership we need in TO. Also, kudos to @shelleycarroll for her words on the need for shelters outside of downtown.
"Would you not agree this undermines the work that I have in fact been doing in my ward?" Morley asks. Bradford says that's not his intention. Morley asks Bradford if he thinks deferring rezoning will result in a different site. Bradford says he can't "presuppose the outcome."
Where are the homeless getting cars from? Often amazed what constitutes “debate” on Toronto city council.
Councillor Lily Cheng moves to look at including parking, loading space and outdoor amenity space at the new shelter 68 Sheppard West. She also wants to look a making the entrance not visible from Sheppard West.
Prediction: The next 3.5 years of media discourse in Ontario will be journalists asking Mark Carney why he hasn’t fixed Doug Ford’s problems yet.
Literally every developed country on earth bar US has universal healthcare. Our fledging system in this country should not be a point of national pride or self identity. Especially given its objective underperformance compared to other universal systems.
Universal healthcare is who we are as Canadians. It’s one of the things that sets us a part from the U.S. and we should be proud of that. Let’s keep it strong and make sure it serves everyone, in every region. It’s our heritage, our legacy and something we should all be proud of.
This is literally like, pseudoscience. Why would we waste time on this?
Councillor Mike Colle asks about setback requirements for the shelter at Caledonia & Eglinton. "It's right next door to a shawarma place. So we don't want to get the smell of the shawarma, as much as we love shawarma, can we get a setback from that?" Staff say they'll look at it
What is it about liberal cities in conservative states and actually getting major reforms done? How do we get the energy towards reform in liberal states/provinces.
NASHVILLE JUST PASSED 6-STORY SINGLE-STAIR REFORM! Nashville officially becomes the third-largest city to legalize single-stair apartment buildings up to six stories, outdoing Austin who recently passed a 5-story code update passed earlier this year. LET'S FREAKIN GO NASHVILLE
This is illiberal.
Permit revoked for MAGA musician's concert at Parks Canada historic site. Parks Canada rescinded approval of permit due to 'evolving safety and security considerations' cbc.ca/news/canada/no… Find out more at nationalnewswatch.com
Impressed with @gregorrobertson for sticking to his guns on this. The Housing Accelerator Fund is meant to help pay for the new infrastructure that comes with population growth. If Toronto doesn't hold up its end of the bargain, then it is by no means entitled to this funding.
Hopefully the Mayor steps up this time. cbc.ca/news/canada/to…