Shows / The Missing Middle Podcast
The Missing Middle Podcast
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.
Episodes
The Missing Middle PodcastThe Giant Planning Error That Destroyed Housing Supply
For decades, housing planners have assumed that seniors would eventually downsize, freeing up family homes for the next generation. But that hasn’t happened.In…
The Missing Middle PodcastIf We’re Not in a Recession… Why Does It Feel Like One?
If Canada isn’t in a recession, why does it feel like one for so many Canadians?In this episode of Classonomics from The Missing Middle, hosts Sabrina Maddeaux…
The Missing Middle PodcastIs “Buying Canadian” Actually a Luxury for the Rich?
Is boycotting American products a patriotic duty, or a luxury belief most Canadians can’t afford?In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike…
The Missing Middle PodcastYou’re “Middle Class” on Paper. So Why Do You Feel Broke?
If $130,000 is the new poverty line… what does that make you?In this episode of Classonomics, we tackle the viral argument that the middle class isn’t…
The Missing Middle PodcastThe Disappearing "Third Place": Why Making Friends Is Getting Harder
Why is it so hard to make friends once you leave school? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt dive into the "Loneliness Epidemic"…
The Missing Middle PodcastThe Hidden Job Market Crisis No One Is Talking About
The unemployment rate says everything is fine. So why does finding a job feel impossible?Canada has added nearly 200,000 jobs and unemployment sits around…
The Missing Middle PodcastWhy Canadian Transit is Failing Families (and How to Fix It)
Does having a baby mean you're officially "car-dependent"? In this episode of DemograFix, Cara Stern and Reece Martin, of @RMTrasit, tackle the reality of…
The Missing Middle PodcastWhy Risky Bets Are Rational in a Housing Crisis
Your 20s: risky bets, crypto hype, and meme stocks. 🎲 Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explain why being priced out of a home is turning saving into gambling…
The Missing Middle PodcastAI is Killing Entry-Level Jobs: The 13% Drop Nobody is Talking About
Yesterday, Bank of Canada governor Tiff Mackem warned that early evidence shows AI is reducing the number of entry-level jobs available. Are we heading toward…
The Missing Middle PodcastCanada’s Starter Home Is Dead
Canada’s housing ladder is broken. In this episode of Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt explain why the starter home no longer works and how an…
The Missing Middle PodcastCanada’s Demographic Time Bomb: What Boom, Bust & Echo Got Right
Canada’s housing crisis. Youth unemployment. Immigration debates. A broken healthcare system.What if we told you a book published in 1996 predicted almost all…
The Missing Middle PodcastThese Changes Can Help Make Homes Affordable for Young People
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dig into why homeownership for Canadians under 40 has fallen off a cliff. Spoiler…
The Missing Middle PodcastYou’ll Own Nothing and Be Happy: Is That Our Future?
Do you actually own the things you pay for anymore?In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, economist Mike Moffatt and Cara Stern explore how ownership…
The Missing Middle PodcastThe Hidden Tax on City Living: How Crime and Disorder Undermine Density
From breath mints and car break-ins to bouncers at the Rogers store, urban life is starting to feel a lot more “on alert.” In this episode of The Missing…
The Missing Middle PodcastHow Birth Year Shapes Your Economic Future
From avocado toast jokes to accusations of entitlement, every generation seems to get its turn in the stereotype spotlight. In this episode of The Missing…
The Missing Middle PodcastDid the Greenbelt Break Ontario’s Housing System?
Ontario’s Greenbelt is often treated as untouchable — but is it actually making the housing crisis worse?In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Ask Me Anything: Housing, Transit, and Our Podcast’s Future
In this special Ask Me Anything episode of The Missing Middle, the full team answers your biggest viewer questions on housing, transit, immigration, and…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Fixing Canada’s Health Data Rules Without Killing Innovation
Is Canada’s life sciences and health tech sector heading toward a code red? In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack how outdated and…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Grading Provinces on Housing: Who Earned an A and Who Deserves Detention?
In this episode of the Missing Middle, hosts Cara Stern and Mike Moffatt break down his latest “home score” report, grading every Canadian province on housing…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Are We Ignoring a Generation of Struggling Young Men?
In this episode of the Missing Middle Podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down a major shift in Canada’s income trends: men over retirement age…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
How Housing Prices Shape Families
This episode of the Missing Middle podcast explores a new University of Toronto study that highlights housing affordability as a key factor in declining…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Are Boomers Bankrupting the Future?
The conversation highlights the pressing issue of intergenerational tensions in Canada, particularly focusing on the financial burdens faced by younger…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Canada Is Finally Regulating Stablecoins – Here’s Why It Matters
Canada is moving toward regulating dollar-backed stablecoins, and in this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down what that means. They explain…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Why Rent Control Might Be Hurting the People It’s Meant to Help
Host Cara Stern is back from parental leave, and she and Mike are jumping right into one of the most debated topics in housing policy — rent control. Inspired…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
How Canada Fell Behind the World on Housing Affordability
This week on The Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux bust some myths and take a hard look at Canada’s place in the global housing…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Do You Have a CRA Horror Story?
The Canada Revenue Agency is facing a public crisis: long delays, wrong assessments, and frustrated taxpayers. Hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt unpack…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The Rental Paradox: Why Lower Prices Aren't Enough
Rents are finally dropping in many Canadian cities, yet finding an affordable, decent apartment still feels impossible. What’s going on with the rental…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Nightmare on Craven Road: When Local Politics Derail Citywide Housing Goals
What happens when one city councillor gets Toronto council to vote in favour of “studying” garden suites on a single block, potentially undoing years of zoning…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Eastbound and Outpriced: The Great GTA Family Migration
Ontario’s family housing crisis is spreading fast, and it’s not just a GTA problem anymore. In this episode of The Missing Middle podcast, Sabrina Maddeaux and…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
From Kraft Dinner to Condos: The Great Shrinkage
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux dig into the rise of shrinkflation, from grocery store products like cereal and Kraft…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Ontario’s Housing Sales Collapse: It’s Not Just Toronto Condos
Ontario’s housing market is in crisis, and it’s not just condos in downtown Toronto. In this episode of The Missing Middle Podcast, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Who Really Wins with Return-to-Office Mandates?
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down Ontario’s new return-to-office mandate and the big banks’ similar policies…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Condo Crashes, Shrinkflation, & The Death of Homeownership?
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dig into Canada’s condo market crash, the rise of “housing shrinkflation,” and what it…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The Secret Life of Think Tanks: Funding, Influence & Careers
Ever wonder what people at think tanks actually do all day? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt pull back the curtain on…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Infill Housing Battles: What 15 Years of Data Reveal
Why do some infill housing projects spark outrage while others fly under the radar? In this episode of The Missing Middle, host Sabrina Matto sits down with…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The High Cost of Losing Your Creative Class
Canadian cities are facing a creative crisis. Rising housing costs are driving artists, musicians, designers, and other innovators out — and it’s not just…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Can Tax Reform Help Young Canadians Afford Homes?
Are young Canadians being taxed like millionaires while living like broke students? Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt dive into the jaw-dropping disconnect…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
MURBs & The Housing Plot Twist No One Saw Coming
What do cheesy Jean-Claude Van Damme movies and Canada’s rental housing crisis have in common? Apparently, more than you’d think! In this episode of The…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
REITs, Rent & Rage: Canada’s Housing Tug-of-War
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Mike Moffatt and Sabrina Maddeaux unpack the controversy around REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts) and their role…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Young Workers and the Public Service Purge
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt break down the massive wave of federal public service job cuts and how they’re…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The $6.6 Billion Housing Disaster Politicians Won’t Talk About
Toronto’s housing market is in free fall — new condo sales have plunged 97% since 2021, costing governments $6.6 billion in lost tax revenue every year. In…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Broken Zoning: Why We Can’t Fix the Housing Crisis Without a Map
In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt are joined by urban planner Alex Beheshti for a deep dive into one of the most…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
How Cities Keep Screwing up Multiplex Housing
Why aren’t we seeing more multiplexes in Canadian cities—even after zoning reforms? In this episode of The Missing Middle, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Canada’s GST Rebate is Based On 1991 Home Prices-WTF!?!
In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt tackle how GST rebates are affecting new homebuyers, tracing the history of these incentives and how…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Politicians vs. Millennials: The Battle for Housing Affordability
In this episode of the Missing Middle podcast Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt discuss the lack of clear housing goals from political parties, including the…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
From 40 to 100 million: How will immigration impact Canadian wages?
In this episode of the missing Middle podcast conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt discuss the current state of immigration in…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Ron Butler: Condo Crash Meets Housing Crisis
In this episode of the Missing Middle podcast, mortgage broker Ron Butler sits down with conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt to…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Can Factory-Built Homes Solve the Housing Crisis?
In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt discuss the potential of factory built homes as a solution to the housing…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The Housing Trilemma: Why You Can't Afford a Home
In this episode of The Missing Middle podcast, hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt discuss the impossible trinity that broke Canadian housing. They explore…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Where DID All the Jobs Go? The Mystery of Rising Unemployment.
Chapters00:00 Introduction01:13 Job market statistics 02:10 Why the job market is so bad right now04:27 Different ways to measure the job market07:02 Things…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
The Humble Genius of Uytae Lee: The Creator of About Here
He's got 215,000 YouTube subscribers and millions of views. The urban planner and YouTube creator Uytae Lee sits down with Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt to…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Baby Bust: Where Have All the 3-Bedroom Homes Gone?
In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt discuss the significant decline in the construction of three-bedroom homes in…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Can Any Party Actually Fix Housing? - Election 2025
In this episode of The Missing Middle, hosts Sabrina Maddeaux and Michael Moffatt discuss the housing platforms of Canada's major federal parties as they…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Ed Elson: Is Gen Z Doomed?
In this conversation, Sabrina Maddeaux and Mike Moffatt are joined by co-host of the Prof G Markets podcast with Scott Galloway, and host the First Time…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
David Coletto: Gas Prices, Trump and Angry Young Men - Inside Canada’s Wild 2025 Election
In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina and economist Mike Moffatt speak with David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data, to explore the evolving landscape of…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
How Community Consultation is Ruining Democracy
In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist mike Moffatt sit down with housing advocate Eric Lombardi to discuss the epic shortcomings…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Are Young People Giving Up on Canada?
In this episode, Sabrina Maddeaux and Michael Moffatt discuss the critical intersection of the housing crisis and national security in Canada. They explore how…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Will Reduced Immigration Solve the Housing Crisis?
In this conversation Conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt delve into the recent changes in Canada's immigration policies and their…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
David Coletto: The Precarity Mindset and the 2025 Election
In this conversation, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt discuss the evolving landscape of political polling with David Coletto…
- The Missing Middle Podcast
Unpacking the Growing Wage Gap Between American and Canadian Workers
In this episode, conservative pundit Sabrina Maddeaux and economist Mike Moffatt explore the growing wage gap between American and Canadian workers, discussing…