Housing shortfall, costs and affordability

[tomh009]

Yes ... but for any commercial landlord to invest hundreds of thousands (or millions) into construction, they will need to get a return on that investment, otherwise they simply won't do it. So, getting to the rents of 20 years ago is highly unlikely.

Also, if we are looking to provide separate housing units for the underhoused (living at home, or, gasp, sharing with someone else) there will need to be more small units built in order to keep the costs low, including small 1BR units and bachelor/studio apartments.

I would be interested in knowing what form of multi-residential construction is the most cost-effective. My guess is stacked townhouses/walk-ups, assuming they are far enough from the urban core to keep the land costs low, but that's really just a guess.