Nathan Lauster
@lausterna.bsky.social
UBC sociologist, demographer, housing & urban regulation scholar, author, immigrant, blogs at https://homefreesociology.com/
November sunrise before the rain
November 24, 2025 at 9:54 PM
November sunrise before the rain
Pity the historians of the future, stuck repeating:
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
NEW: Judge Currie finds that Lindsay Halligan was UNLAWFULLY APPOINTED and dismisses the James Comey and Letitia James indictments without prejudice. storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.us...
November 24, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Pity the historians of the future, stuck repeating:
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
"Well, ACTUALLY, the origin of the phrase 'trumped-up charges' dates back much further and is unrelated to the presidency of the same name."
Past the rage-inducing headline this is interesting both for the usual reasons (genuine difficultly to assessing high-value, rare-transaction properties & lots of benefit to owners' strategic valuation) & for the specific case (Onni's got a big property on Granville in Shaughnessy 👀)
November 21, 2025 at 11:17 PM
Past the rage-inducing headline this is interesting both for the usual reasons (genuine difficultly to assessing high-value, rare-transaction properties & lots of benefit to owners' strategic valuation) & for the specific case (Onni's got a big property on Granville in Shaughnessy 👀)
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
November 21, 2025 at 9:27 PM
Exceedingly rare example of the notwithstanding claws being justifiably used to counter human rights.
I think this is great!
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Province says new B.C. digital tool intends to speed up prefab housing approvals, construction | CBC News
The program, called Digitally Accelerated Standardized Housing (DASH), is an online building tool that uses standardized designed and pre-fabricated building blocks to help design three- to six-storey...
www.cbc.ca
November 21, 2025 at 1:48 AM
I think this is great!
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
The Builder's note that "most of the challenges he encounters are on a municipal level" is an important caveat. But hopefully the province is putting DASH to work drawing municipalities into sped up & standardized approvals.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
Great discussion that has been going on for serval days now up and down this thread and in the quotes (up and down). Metrics matter, and some of our main metrics in the housing discourse simply aren't responsive to the issues: Standard affordability metrics suffer from massive collider bias.
> What the “objective evidence” shows is that the share of income dedicated to housing is higher than before
???
No, it does not. www.bls.gov/news.release...
???
No, it does not. www.bls.gov/news.release...
November 20, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Great discussion that has been going on for serval days now up and down this thread and in the quotes (up and down). Metrics matter, and some of our main metrics in the housing discourse simply aren't responsive to the issues: Standard affordability metrics suffer from massive collider bias.
Fun piece on the history and prospects for use of the Builder's Remedy as a means of adding housing in California.
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
The Housing Strategy That Has California NIMBYs in a Corner
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 5:58 PM
Fun piece on the history and prospects for use of the Builder's Remedy as a means of adding housing in California.
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Bonus: features a dashing academic discovering & promoting the remedy via social media.
www.nytimes.com/2025/11/20/b...
Seems Bad.
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
$10M deal gives Winnipeg developer control of land from First Nation he advised | CBC News
A former golf course north of Winnipeg purchased with money Peguis First Nation received as reparation for broken treaty promises is now mostly in the hands of a property developer who used to advise ...
www.cbc.ca
November 20, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Seems Bad.
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
And the "We have no development experience," note from the Peguis Trust representative really highlights how vital that experience can be in warding off what sure looks like predatory behaviour from the experienced developer here.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
"Homeowners don’t appreciate or don’t understand that we are living in a much riskier world than we were 25 years ago."
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Rising Home Insurance Premiums Are Eating Into Home Values in Disaster-Prone Areas (Gift Article)
Changes in the insurance market have started to affect home prices in the most disaster-prone areas, new research finds, pushing some homeowners’ finances to the breaking point.
www.nytimes.com
November 19, 2025 at 5:59 PM
"Homeowners don’t appreciate or don’t understand that we are living in a much riskier world than we were 25 years ago."
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
TBH, I've been trying to follow this stuff, and I think even I've been underestimating the toll of hail damage...
www.nytimes.com/interactive/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
AI presents a fundamental threat to our ability to use polls to assess public opinion. Bad actors who are able to infiltrate panels can flip close election polls for less than the cost of a Starbucks coffee. Models will also infer and confirm hypotheses in experiments. Current quality checks fail
November 18, 2025 at 9:23 PM
AI presents a fundamental threat to our ability to use polls to assess public opinion. Bad actors who are able to infiltrate panels can flip close election polls for less than the cost of a Starbucks coffee. Models will also infer and confirm hypotheses in experiments. Current quality checks fail
Hey, neat!
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
OneCity has its first mayoral candidate for their primary: William Azaroff, the CEO of Brightside Community Homes Foundation, and board member of The Tyee, VIFF, and a bunch of other community endeavours.
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
His campaign video launch, here:
www.instagram.com/reel/DRKifvH...
William on Instagram: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader and city builder who knows how to bring peo...
5 likes, 0 comments - williamforvancouver on November 17, 2025: "My name is William Azaroff, and I’m proud to be seeking the mayoral nomination with @onecityvancouver
I’m a community housing leader a...
www.instagram.com
November 17, 2025 at 7:03 PM
Hey, neat!
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
Can vouch for Azaroff being well-respected in the housing sector with which I'm most familiar, with a lot of other ties to boot.
"Many survivors are constantly choosing between being safe and being housed." (from linked report)
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Report reveals how domestic abusers weaponize B.C.'s housing crisis, calls for more legal aid | CBC News
A legal group's interviews with survivors of intimate partner violence show that many stay in abusive relationships because they can't find affordable housing. Following the interviews, a report from ...
www.cbc.ca
November 16, 2025 at 10:52 PM
"Many survivors are constantly choosing between being safe and being housed." (from linked report)
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Our housing shortage makes just about everything harder, but the link to domestic violence is a major reason we need to fix it. Lots of people can't wait on our waitlists.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
November 16, 2025 at 6:44 AM
Lumière Festival was fun!
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
And surprisingly good advertising for UBC.
"[W]hile the Islands Trust is aware of the many illegal dwellings on the island, if there are no environmental and health concerns, the occupants are left alone due to the housing crunch."
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Illegal housing essential to keep Salt Spring Island businesses open, employers say | CBC News
Many services on Salt Spring Island are experiencing a labour shortage, driven by a lack of housing workers can afford.
It’s pushed businesses around the island to offer housing for workers in order t...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 7:36 PM
"[W]hile the Islands Trust is aware of the many illegal dwellings on the island, if there are no environmental and health concerns, the occupants are left alone due to the housing crunch."
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Kinda gives away the game. If there aren't any environmental & health concerns, why are the dwellings illegal?
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Illegal housing essential to keep Salt Spring Island businesses open, employers say | CBC News
Many services on Salt Spring Island are experiencing a labour shortage, driven by a lack of housing workers can afford.
It’s pushed businesses around the island to offer housing for workers in order t...
www.cbc.ca
November 15, 2025 at 6:48 PM
Good reporting here on Salt Spring Island's housing crisis & the rise of informal workforce housing.
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good to keep asking both why the Islands Trust isn't allowing more permanent housing to be constructed & why $20k trailer homes have been made illegal.
www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
![4-panel vertical comic. (1) 100 Years Ago [two people standing next to bicycle with small car nearby] PERSON 1: It’s too dangerous riding a bike with these cars around. I should get a car, too. (2) 50 Years Ago [two people between smaller car and bigger car] PERSON 2 with short hair: Small cars are less safe in collisions with larger vehicles, so I should get a bigger one. (3) Today [two people between big car and even bigger car] PERSON 1: Everyone has huge SUVs now. If I don’t get the biggest one, I’m putting my family at risk. (4) Soon [two people next to large armored car with spiked clubs attached] PERSON 2: If I don’t install more whirling spike clubs, I’ll be destroyed by all the other drivers who...](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:cz73r7iyiqn26upot4jtjdhk/bafkreiby6can6k76yzfmv2czxs4pu2l7zie7bqbrpswi7h3ifmiadkuqvu@jpeg)
Hmm... seems familiar.
"We consider how housing acts as a potential realm where perception of crisis can activate reactionary nationalism, investigating how it differs from and interacts with other realms (e.g. jobs and wages, crime, and social welfare)..." www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
"We consider how housing acts as a potential realm where perception of crisis can activate reactionary nationalism, investigating how it differs from and interacts with other realms (e.g. jobs and wages, crime, and social welfare)..." www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
November 13, 2025 at 11:22 PM
Hmm... seems familiar.
"We consider how housing acts as a potential realm where perception of crisis can activate reactionary nationalism, investigating how it differs from and interacts with other realms (e.g. jobs and wages, crime, and social welfare)..." www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
"We consider how housing acts as a potential realm where perception of crisis can activate reactionary nationalism, investigating how it differs from and interacts with other realms (e.g. jobs and wages, crime, and social welfare)..." www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1...
"[T]here have been 33 studies on Ambleside in the past 79 years. There has been such great engagement that I think it's disrespectful to those that gave their input to not push this forward.”
Good pushback to West Van mayor from both province & a local BIA voice. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good pushback to West Van mayor from both province & a local BIA voice. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
West Vancouver mayor says he won’t back down from standoff on provincially mandated housing targets | CBC News
The B.C. government says West Vancouver has shirked its responsibility to build housing and meet set targets. But the district mayor says he fundamentally disagrees with the province's approach. As th...
www.cbc.ca
November 13, 2025 at 5:11 PM
"[T]here have been 33 studies on Ambleside in the past 79 years. There has been such great engagement that I think it's disrespectful to those that gave their input to not push this forward.”
Good pushback to West Van mayor from both province & a local BIA voice. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Good pushback to West Van mayor from both province & a local BIA voice. www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
Pure joy on the Bike Bus this morning!
November 12, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Pure joy on the Bike Bus this morning!
"While strengthening local government is an admirable goal, I do not believe that preserving local control over land use is more important than building homes."
Good faith discussion of strategies and stakes in housing shortage vs. local control debates (mostly California content, but BC-relevant!)
Good faith discussion of strategies and stakes in housing shortage vs. local control debates (mostly California content, but BC-relevant!)
I wrote about state-level ADU reform and the differences between @strongtowns.org and YIMBYism. www.maxdubler.com/blog/2025/11...
On The Tension Between YIMBYism and Strong Towns — Max Dubler
Special thanks to those who gave their thoughtful feedback on this piece. The past couple of months have seen quite a bit of Discourse about the differences between Strong Towns and YIMB...
www.maxdubler.com
November 10, 2025 at 10:12 PM
"While strengthening local government is an admirable goal, I do not believe that preserving local control over land use is more important than building homes."
Good faith discussion of strategies and stakes in housing shortage vs. local control debates (mostly California content, but BC-relevant!)
Good faith discussion of strategies and stakes in housing shortage vs. local control debates (mostly California content, but BC-relevant!)
Reposted by Nathan Lauster
42% of residents and 37% of businesses surveyed supported a 5% property tax increase in order to maintain the current level of services in the city of Vancouver
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
November 10, 2025 at 5:25 PM
42% of residents and 37% of businesses surveyed supported a 5% property tax increase in order to maintain the current level of services in the city of Vancouver
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
but wait there’s more
a lot more
1/?
council.vancouver.ca/20251112/doc...
Nice piece most prominently featuring First Nation-led projects in BC but also touching on others across Canada, as well as talking to those who've moved into the lower-cost leasehold arrangements! www.cbc.ca/radio/costof...
Could a rise in Indigenous-led developments move the needle on Canada's housing shortage? | CBC Radio
From Squamish Nation in B.C. to Millbrook First Nation in N.S., housing developments led by Indigenous peoples are on the rise. Often offered through leaseholds, some say these homes are helping with ...
www.cbc.ca
November 9, 2025 at 9:30 PM
Nice piece most prominently featuring First Nation-led projects in BC but also touching on others across Canada, as well as talking to those who've moved into the lower-cost leasehold arrangements! www.cbc.ca/radio/costof...
Loved this simple image from @tomflood.bsky.social set behind the panel at the Life After Cars event hosted by @visionzerovancouver.ca.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
November 9, 2025 at 6:14 AM
Loved this simple image from @tomflood.bsky.social set behind the panel at the Life After Cars event hosted by @visionzerovancouver.ca.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Happy to join @thewaroncars.bsky.social and happy my City Councillor @lucymaloney.bsky.social was up on stage too.
Pretty consistent pattern where Yaletown and Coal Harbour run much more Conservative than the rest of Downtown Vancouver, but still a good year for Hedy Fry.
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
November 8, 2025 at 7:46 PM
Pretty consistent pattern where Yaletown and Coal Harbour run much more Conservative than the rest of Downtown Vancouver, but still a good year for Hedy Fry.
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
(note: it's always a good year for Hedy Fry).
"...if there is something to be taken from this decision, it is just to remember that the concept of Aboriginal title isn’t going to go away... it’s something that the province needs to deal with and that the best way to deal with that is through a nation to nation negotiation process."
A B.C. Supreme Court ruling on Aboriginal title being granted to the Cowichan Tribes in B.C. has led to a lot of anger and misinterpretation in the province.
To clear up the facts, APTN News spoke with an expert on Aboriginal title cases.
To clear up the facts, APTN News spoke with an expert on Aboriginal title cases.
Cowichan Tribes decision: What does it really mean? - APTN News
www.aptnnews.ca
November 7, 2025 at 5:46 PM
"...if there is something to be taken from this decision, it is just to remember that the concept of Aboriginal title isn’t going to go away... it’s something that the province needs to deal with and that the best way to deal with that is through a nation to nation negotiation process."