{"id":137,"date":"2025-02-28T23:46:03","date_gmt":"2025-03-01T04:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/?page_id=137"},"modified":"2025-03-10T01:32:38","modified_gmt":"2025-03-10T05:32:38","slug":"about-the-worlds-landlords-project","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/about-the-worlds-landlords-project\/","title":{"rendered":"About the World&#8217;s Landlords Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-max  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n        \n                    \n                    \n            \n    <div class=\"cu-wideimage relative flex items-center justify-center mx-auto px-8 overflow-hidden md:px-16 rounded-xl not-prose  my-6 md:my-12 first:mt-0 bg-opacity-50 bg-cover bg-cu-black-50 py-24 md:py-28 lg:py-36 xl:py-48\" style=\"background-image: url(https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/03\/construction-287868_1920-1600x700.jpg); background-position: 48% 59%;\">\n\n                    <div class=\"absolute top-0 w-full h-screen\" style=\"background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.690);\"><\/div>\n        \n        <div class=\"relative z-[2] max-w-4xl w-full flex flex-col items-center gap-2 cu-wideimage-image cu-zero-first-last\">\n            <header class=\"mx-auto mb-6 text-center text-white cu-pageheader cu-component-updated cu-pageheader--center md:mb-12\">\n\n                                    <h1 class=\"cu-prose-first-last font-semibold mb-2 text-3xl md:text-4xl lg:text-5xl lg:leading-[3.5rem] cu-pageheader--center text-center mx-auto after:left-px\">\n                        About the Project\n                    <\/h1>\n                \n                            <\/header>\n        <\/div>\n\n            <\/div>\n\n    \n\n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"project-summary\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While there is virtual unanimity that Canada is in the midst of a massive housing crisis, there is disagreement on theappropriate policies to address it (CMHC 2023). The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates that 3.5 million additional units are needed to meet demand (CMHC 2023). Public construction is nearly at a stand-still, and efforts to spur private construction through affordable housing requirements have not yielded adequate results (Gupta 2024). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the same time, the massive Canadian public pension funds hold over $2.2T of investments in global assets (<em class=\"myprefix-text-italic\">Benefits Canada<\/em> 2023). This figure includes expanding investment in housing markets in Canada and around the world, notably in the Global South. Given that housing shortages are global, this institutional investment has been welcomed and incentivised with tax credits and subsidies in Canada and elsewhere. But the consequences of having public pension funds becoming some of the world\u2019s largest landlords suggest that more and better regulatory oversight is needed.<br><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Recent research points to management practices that include racial discrimination, substandard maintenance, exploitation of labour, and rampant disregard for tenants\u2019 wellbeing as pension funds follow the path of other financial investors in prioritizing profit maximization despite formally recognizing and purporting to champion environmental, social, and governance (ESG) standards. These practices contradict the common image of tax-assisted pension funds as trusted stewards of workers\u2019 retirement savings. To date there has been no systemic analysis of this incongruence, nor its implications for policymakers. This project accordingly seeks to develop a framework of Canadian pension fund policies respecting investment in housing in order to help policymakers and the public understand the trade-offs that both pension funds and regulators are currently engaging in as they pursue financialized housing as a global investment commodity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This project is a collaboration between has been awarded a SSHRC Insight Development grant for 2024-2026, with Priya Gupta (McGill Law) and Kevin Skerrett (Carleton Political Economy) as co-Principal Investigators.  The current team working on this project is listed below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 id=\"project-team\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project Team<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        \n\n\n\n<section class=\"w-screen px-6 cu-section cu-section--white cu-section--cards ml-offset-center md:px-8 lg:px-14\" data-attributes=\"&#x7B;&quot;numberOfColumns&quot;&#x3A;3,&quot;blockBackground&quot;&#x3A;&quot;white&quot;,&quot;showImages&quot;&#x3A;true,&quot;showJobTitle&quot;&#x3A;true,&quot;showEmail&quot;&#x3A;true,&quot;showPhone&quot;&#x3A;true,&quot;numberOfPosts&quot;&#x3A;6,&quot;moreButton&quot;&#x3A;&quot;none&quot;,&quot;currentPage&quot;&#x3A;1,&quot;blockType&quot;&#x3A;&quot;cards&quot;,&quot;contentType&quot;&#x3A;&quot;cu_people&quot;,&quot;taxName&quot;&#x3A;&quot;cu_people_type&quot;,&quot;order&quot;&#x3A;&quot;asc&quot;,&quot;orderBy&quot;&#x3A;&quot;meta_value&quot;,&quot;metaField&quot;&#x3A;&quot;cu_people_first_name&quot;,&quot;showAllPosts&quot;&#x3A;false,&quot;showFilter&quot;&#x3A;false,&quot;buttonText&quot;&#x3A;&quot;View&#x20;Profile&quot;,&quot;categories&quot;&#x3A;&quot;&quot;,&quot;tags&quot;&#x3A;&quot;&quot;&#x7D;\" data-page=\"2\">\n    <div class=\"space-y-6 cu-max-w-child-5xl  md:space-y-10 cu-prose-first-last\">\n\n                \n                \n        <div class=\"cu-loading hidden text-center mx-auto h-6 w-6 animate-spin rounded-full border-4 border-solid border-current border-r-transparent align-[-0.125em] motion-reduce:animate-[spin_1.5s_linear_infinite]\" role=\"status\">\n    <span class=\"!absolute !-m-px !h-px !w-px !overflow-hidden !whitespace-nowrap !border-0 !p-0 ![clip:rect(0,0,0,0)]\">\n        Loading&#8230;\n    <\/span>\n<\/div>\n\n                                        \n        <p class=\"cu-no-posts hidden\">\n            No\n            people\n\n            posts are available.\n        <\/p>\n\n                <div class=\"cu-column cu-component not-contained mx-auto grid max-w-5xl md:grid-cols-3 gap-6 md:gap-10\">\n                        \n                    <div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100 text-center group duration-300 ease-in hover:scale-[1.02] hover:shadow-cu-black-200\">\n            <figure class=\"px-6 pt-8 pb-2 mb-2 overflow-hidden rounded-t-lg cu-figure--round\">\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/03\/Afra-headshot-1-600x600.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/>\n                        <\/figure>\n    \n    <header class=\"px-6 first:mt-6\">\n        <h2 class=\"text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n                            Afra \n                Ozkaynak\n                    <\/h2>\n    <\/header>\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n        <ul class=\"space-y-2 text-sm text-cu-black-700 @sm:md:text-base\">\n                            <li class=\"text-base @sm:md:text-lg italic\">\n                    Research Assistant \n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    <strong class=\"font-semibold break-all text-cu-red-700 hover:underline\">\n                        <a href=\"mailto:afraozkaynak@cmail.carleton.ca\">\n                            Email\n                            Afra \n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/strong>\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    \n                                    <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto md:pt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/people\/afra-ozkaynak\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n            View Profile\n            <span class=\"sr-only\">\n                for\n                Afra  Ozkaynak\n            <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n            \n                    <div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100 text-center group duration-300 ease-in hover:scale-[1.02] hover:shadow-cu-black-200\">\n            <figure class=\"px-6 pt-8 pb-2 mb-2 overflow-hidden rounded-t-lg cu-figure--round\">\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/03\/Charlotte-headshot-600x600.jpeg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/>\n                        <\/figure>\n    \n    <header class=\"px-6 first:mt-6\">\n        <h2 class=\"text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n                            Charlotte\n                Taylor\n                    <\/h2>\n    <\/header>\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n        <ul class=\"space-y-2 text-sm text-cu-black-700 @sm:md:text-base\">\n                            <li class=\"text-base @sm:md:text-lg italic\">\n                    Research Assistant and third-year Law Student\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    <strong class=\"font-semibold break-all text-cu-red-700 hover:underline\">\n                        <a href=\"mailto:charlotte.taylor-baer@mcgill.ca\">\n                            Email\n                            Charlotte\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/strong>\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    \n                                    <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto md:pt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/people\/charlotte-taylor\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n            View Profile\n            <span class=\"sr-only\">\n                for\n                Charlotte Taylor\n            <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n            \n                    <div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100 text-center group duration-300 ease-in hover:scale-[1.02] hover:shadow-cu-black-200\">\n            <figure class=\"px-6 pt-8 pb-2 mb-2 overflow-hidden rounded-t-lg cu-figure--round\">\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/01\/KS-headshot-2023-low-res-600x600.jpg\" alt=\"Man in black blazer with checkered dress shirt smiling\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/>\n                        <\/figure>\n    \n    <header class=\"px-6 first:mt-6\">\n        <h2 class=\"text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n                            Kevin \n                Skerrett\n                    <\/h2>\n    <\/header>\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n        <ul class=\"space-y-2 text-sm text-cu-black-700 @sm:md:text-base\">\n                            <li class=\"text-base @sm:md:text-lg italic\">\n                    Director, Adjunct Research Professor\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    <strong class=\"font-semibold break-all text-cu-red-700 hover:underline\">\n                        <a href=\"mailto:kevinskerrett@cunet.carleton.ca\">\n                            Email\n                            Kevin \n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/strong>\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    \n                                    <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto md:pt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/people\/kevin-skerrett\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n            View Profile\n            <span class=\"sr-only\">\n                for\n                Kevin  Skerrett\n            <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n            \n                    <div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100 text-center group duration-300 ease-in hover:scale-[1.02] hover:shadow-cu-black-200\">\n            <figure class=\"px-6 pt-8 pb-2 mb-2 overflow-hidden rounded-t-lg cu-figure--round\">\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/02\/Lauren-HS-2_page-0001-600x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/>\n                        <\/figure>\n    \n    <header class=\"px-6 first:mt-6\">\n        <h2 class=\"text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n                            Lauren\n                O&#8217;Reilly\n                    <\/h2>\n    <\/header>\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n        <ul class=\"space-y-2 text-sm text-cu-black-700 @sm:md:text-base\">\n                            <li class=\"text-base @sm:md:text-lg italic\">\n                    Research Assistant\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    <strong class=\"font-semibold break-all text-cu-red-700 hover:underline\">\n                        <a href=\"mailto:laurenoreilly3@cmail.carleton.ca\">\n                            Email\n                            Lauren\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/strong>\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    \n                                    <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto md:pt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/people\/lauren-oreilly\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n            View Profile\n            <span class=\"sr-only\">\n                for\n                Lauren O\u2019Reilly\n            <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n            \n                    <div class=\"not-prose cu-card rounded-lg @container md:max-w-xl flex flex-col gap-3 bg-white shadow-lg shadow-cu-black-100 text-center group duration-300 ease-in hover:scale-[1.02] hover:shadow-cu-black-200\">\n            <figure class=\"px-6 pt-8 pb-2 mb-2 overflow-hidden rounded-t-lg cu-figure--round\">\n                            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\"\n            src=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/54\/2025\/03\/PG-Professional-Photo-600x600.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"200\" height=\"200\" \/>\n                        <\/figure>\n    \n    <header class=\"px-6 first:mt-6\">\n        <h2 class=\"text-lg font-semibold text-cu-black @sm:md:text-xl leading-6 @sm:md:leading-8\">\n                            Priya\n                Gupta\n                    <\/h2>\n    <\/header>\n    <div class=\"flex flex-col px-6\">\n        <ul class=\"space-y-2 text-sm text-cu-black-700 @sm:md:text-base\">\n                            <li class=\"text-base @sm:md:text-lg italic\">\n                    Associate Professor of Law at McGill University \n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    <strong class=\"font-semibold break-all text-cu-red-700 hover:underline\">\n                        <a href=\"mailto:priya.s.gupta@mcgill.ca\">\n                            Email\n                            Priya\n                        <\/a>\n                    <\/strong>\n                <\/li>\n                                        <li>\n                    \n                                    <\/li>\n                    <\/ul>\n    <\/div>\n    <footer class=\"px-6 pt-3 mt-auto md:pt-5\">\n        <a href=\"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/people\/priya-gupta\/\" class=\"cu-button cu-button--red cu-button--small\">\n            View Profile\n            <span class=\"sr-only\">\n                for\n                Priya Gupta\n            <\/span>\n        <\/a>\n    <\/footer>\n<\/div>\n\n                    \n        <\/div>\n        \n                                    \n    <\/div>\n<\/section>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Project Summary While there is virtual unanimity that Canada is in the midst of a massive housing crisis, there is disagreement on theappropriate policies to address it (CMHC 2023). The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates that 3.5 million additional units are needed to meet demand (CMHC 2023). Public construction is nearly at a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":160,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_cu_dining_location_slug":"","footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"cu_page_type":[14],"class_list":["post-137","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","cu_page_type-general"],"acf":{"cu_post_thumbnail":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/137","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/160"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=137"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/137\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":371,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/137\/revisions\/371"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=137"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"cu_page_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/carleton.ca\/financializationlab\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/cu_page_type?post=137"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}