The Housing Crisis | Darin Watkins | TEDxSpokane

How do we build cities for the future? As secondary and tertiary communities experience more rapid growth and fewer affordable housing options, this talk explores some possible remedies. The ideas presented suggest intentional and planned communities that will be affordable to the first-time home buyers and the changing lifestyle choices of people attracted to the smaller cities. Housing shortages already exist in many growing communities, so change will need to be embraced and supported as vibrant communities will be built for the future. Darin Watkins is a born and raised Spokanite. You may recognize him from his previous career in broadcast journalism. When Darin isn't working with the Spokane Association of Realtors, you'll find him exploring someplace new, learning about different cultures. When asked what Darin hopes people take away from his time on the TEDxSpokane stage, he answered, “That people recognize how their fears and perceptions directly affect policymakers and prevent growth.” This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at www.ted.com/tedx

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The reason there is a shortage of rental housing is because there is no profit to be made in rental housing anymore. The cost of land, materials, labour, and utility bills is too high to be able to charge tenants cheap rent. This is due to SHORTAGES OF LAND, MATERIALS, LABOUR AND ELECTRICITY. We solve this problem by increasing the supply of land, materials, labour, and electricity. We increase the supply of land by rezoning land to allow higher density housing. We increase the supply of materials by manufacturing and importing more building materials. We increase the supply of labour by educating and IMPORTING MORE TRADESPEOPLE FROM CANADA. We increase the supply of electricity by building more power generation stations. If you do those things the price of rental housing will drop and be more profitable for the rental housing owner. Increase the supply to restore the profit motive.