The Missing Middle Podcast

Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin
  • 4.2 (5)
  • News Commentary
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 5h ago

    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

    Is the Housing Crisis Radicalizing Young Voters?

  2. 17h ago

    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

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

  3. 2d ago

    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

    Paying In, Locked Out: Why EI Fails Young People

  4. Sep 25

    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

    Can Egg Freezing Really Delay Your Biological Clock?

  5. Sep 23

    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

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

  6. Sep 18

    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

    Why Everyone Is Fighting Over Bike Lanes

  7. Sep 16

    Canada Joins the EU?

    This week, Prime Minister Mark Carney will address the European Parliament in an effort to "create greater certainty, security, and prosperity for our peoples." Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reports that Canada is seeking to become an "Associate Member" of the European Union. In our Answer Period livestream, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt will be talking about the benefits and drawbacks of a closer association with the European Union, what an associate membership could look like, and take viewer questions. Hosted by Mike Moffatt & Cara Stern & Sabrina Maddeaux Produced by Meredith Martin Edited by Sean Foreman and Canadian Civil

    Canada Joins the EU?

  8. Sep 9

    Canada Could Build Better Homes AND Make Them Cheaper

    Why is Canadian housing so expensive and why are we getting so little for our money? In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt talks with Adam Mongrain of More and Better Housing about how Canada can build more affordable, better-quality homes while also tackling climate change and housing affordability. They dig into why Canada struggles to build the “missing middle” housing that exists in cities around the world, and how zoning rules, building codes, construction costs and a lack of standardization are making it harder and more expensive to build the homes Canadians actually want. Adam explains why legalizing density isn’t about deregulation, how European-style housing could help lower costs, why Canadian elevators can cost four times as much as comparable ones in Switzerland, and how modern construction methods could transform the housing market. They also discuss climate-resilient housing, the need for millions more social and not-for-profit homes, and the five “game changers” that More and Better Housing believes could help Canada build more and build better. Chapters: 00:00 — Why Is Missing Middle Housing Missing? 02:27 — What Does “More and Better Housing” Mean? 04:51 — Can Better Housing Also Be More Affordable? 07:43 — Why New Housing Isn’t Worth the Price 11:23 — What Does “Legalizing Density” Actually Mean? 15:37 — How Building Codes Drive Up Housing Costs 19:14 — Why Factory-Built Housing Needs New Standards 21:57 — Building Housing for a Changing Climate 23:27 — Can Canada Afford Millions of Nonprofit Homes? Research/links: More and Better Housing Canada website: https://www.moreandbetterhousing.ca/  This is how we could fix a problem Canada has been overlooking for decadeshttps://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/this-is-how-we-could-fix-a-problem-canada-has-been-overlooking-for-decades/article_6970b764-8d33-4d7d-87d6-be8efea8038c.html  Blueprint for More and Better Housing: https://housingandclimate.ca/blueprint/ Four Pathways to Housing Affordability report: https://housingandclimate.ca/2024/11/19/fourpathways/ 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: Kelly Hoban 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

    Canada Could Build Better Homes AND Make Them Cheaper
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Ratings & Reviews

4.2
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Cara Stern, Mike Moffatt, and Meredith Martin
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    215
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Missing Middle Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Missing Middle Podcast

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