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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I'd suggest that you take a look at the technical version of the paper; it was written with people like you in mind. This seemed like the best solution given the complexity of the topic on the one hand, and CCPA's space constraints on the other. github.com/nikoblock0/N...

github.com

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

In any case, this article is about changes in property values over the long run, not rent. As I'm sure you are aware, property values have a major long-term influence on rents, but the short-term pricing dynamics between the two are fairly different.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

I would argue that it is much more meaningful to show how rent changes in relation to income, rather than CPI.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 05/02/2026

Can you tell me where these graphs were published? I am curious to know about the mechanics of the inflation adjustment in the change in rent. As you probably know, the cost of shelter is a big part of CPI, so this may be deflating rent partially by itself.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Anyone wishing to explore my analysis in greater detail can read the technical version on Github. My source data and Stata code are also posted there. github.com/nikoblock0/N...

github.com

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

The trends strongly indicate that financialization, and not population, has been the dominant driver of housing inflation. This means that Canadian policymakers should seriously consider regulatory reform of the banking sector.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

For the purposes of this analysis, I define the financialization of housing as an inflationary tendency induced jointly by banks’ desire to expand mortgage lending and buyers’ confidence that the value of their properties will rise.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Finally, debt has skyrocketed as well, roughly paralleling home price. The household sector's total debt relative to its income was 0.6 in 1976, and rose to 1.5 in 2023.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Meanwhile, dwellings per capita have also risen dramatically, from 290 per thousand people in 1971 to 403 in 2023.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

Housing inflation has been steep. I estimate that the cost of a benchmark single-family home relative to the median family income has risen from 2.8 in 1976 to 6.7 in 2023. (Data are from StatsCan, CREA, and the Macrohistory Database.)

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 03/02/2026

If adding supply were the "the key to restoring affordability" as CMHC claims, then we should expect to see evidence that increases in dwellings per capita lower prices over time. But data reveal the opposite trend.

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Reposted by @nikoblock.bsky.social

Broadbent Institute @broadbent.bsky.social · 11/06/2025

New in Perspectives Journal: @nikoblock.bsky.social explains why Canada’s corporate tax system is too weak, too complex, and too generous — costing public revenue and deepening inequality. It's time for a real debate on tax fairness. Read more ⤵️ perspectivesjournal.ca/corporate-ta...

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Neither Carney nor Singh have offered a coherent strategy to break this pattern. For there to be any hope of progress under the next government, the NDP needs to bring more ambitious ideas forward and pose a credible threat to the Liberals.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

Since 2000, rising oil prices boosted the value of the CAD, which has undermined other every other area of Canadian manufacturing. The overall losses relative to the supposed economic gains of oil are astonishing.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

I give a quick rundown of Canadian political economy and the "staples trap", then recap a key arg from @jimbostanford.bsky.social: that the Canadian dollar's tightening linkage to oil has given us a case of Dutch disease.

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nikoblock.bsky.social @nikoblock.bsky.social · 22/04/2025

In a nutshell: If Canada wants to become more self-reliant then it needs to rebuild its manufacturing sector, which has been profoundly undermined by the oil sands.

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