About More and Better Housing

Don Iveson is Chair of the Board of Directors of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and an executive advisor on climate resilience with Co-operators. As Edmonton's mayor from 2013 to 2021, he chaired Canada's Big City Mayors' Caucus and helped shape the National Housing Strategy. He co-chaired the Task Force for Housing and Climate and serves as volunteer board co-chair of the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness.

The Hon. Lisa Raitt is Vice-Chair, Office of the CEO, at CIBC. Over more than a decade in federal politics, she served as Minister of Natural Resources, Minister of Labour, and Minister of Transport, and as Deputy Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada. Before entering politics, she was President and CEO of the Toronto Port Authority. She also co-chairs the Coalition for a Better Future, dedicated to securing long-term economic growth for Canada.

Dr. Mike Moffatt is Founding Director of the Missing Middle Initiative at the University of Ottawa and one of Canada's leading voices on housing affordability. He previously founded the PLACE Centre at the Smart Prosperity Institute and taught at Western University's Ivey Business School for nearly two decades. He has served as Chief Innovation Fellow for the Government of Canada and holds a PhD in Management Science from the Ivey Business School.

As President and CEO of Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC), Celyeste works with Canadian governments and key stakeholders to build a strong, stable P&C industry and a stronger and safer Canada. Previously, Celyeste served as Executive Vice-President, Strategic Initiatives and Advocacy, where she advanced the national advocacy priorities most important to Canada’s property and casualty insurance industry. Prior to joining IBC, Celyeste held a number of senior roles with the Government of Canada, including Issues Manager to the Prime Minister.

Dr. Alina McKay is Research Manager of the Balanced Supply of Housing research node and the Housing Research Collaborative, based at UBC's Peter A. Allard School of Law, where she coordinates collaboration between academic and community-based housing researchers across Canada. Her research examines the links between housing and wellbeing, including evictions, occupancy standards, and accessible housing. She holds a PhD in Population and Public Health from the University of British Columbia.

Bryan Flannigan is Executive Director of the Building Decarbonization Alliance, an initiative of the Transition Accelerator working to accelerate the efficient electrification of Canada's buildings. A professional engineer with more than three decades of experience, he has advised governments, utilities, and businesses on energy efficiency and emissions reduction, and helped launch the Green Municipal Fund at the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He holds a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Ottawa.

Dr. Carolyn Whitzman is Senior Housing Researcher at the University of Toronto's School of Cities and Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa. One of Canada's foremost housing scholars, she is the author of Home Truths: Fixing Canada's Housing Crisis and an expert advisor to the Housing Assessment Resource Tools (HART) project. She has advised national, provincial, and local governments, as well as UN Women and UN Habitat, on housing policy.

Chiyi Tam 譚奇一 is an urban planner and anti-displacement organizer based in Tkaronto's Chinatown. Chiyi is the Managing Director and co-founder of the Toronto Chinatown Land Trust. Her goal is to return knowledge into community ownership; and support communities working to turn property back into land. She frequently supports groups from all corners of turtle island exploring community ownership and community wealth building as an anti-displacement strategy for racial & economic justice.

Michelle German is a senior executive leader with over 15 years of experience driving systems-level change across housing policy, urban innovation, and intergovernmental strategy. She has held pivotal roles at WoodGreen Community Services, Evergreen, and Springboard Policy—where she led cross-sector initiatives that shaped public policy, secured major housing investments, and advanced inclusive urban development.

Dr. Prentiss Dantzler is Associate Professor of Sociology and Founding Director of the Housing Justice Lab at the University of Toronto's School of Cities. His research sits at the intersection of housing policy, urban poverty, race and ethnic relations, and community development, with a focus on neighbourhood change and residential mobility. A former Fulbright Scholar, he previously held appointments at Georgia State University and Colorado College, and serves as Deputy Editor of City & Community.

Stephen Smith is the founder and Executive Director of the Center for Building in North America, a nonprofit that studies building codes and construction in the United States and Canada in comparative international context. He is a leading advocate for single-stair apartment reform, which has energized building-code modernization efforts across North America. Before founding the Center in 2022, he had a career in journalism covering real estate, planning, and transportation.

Stephanie leads research and analysis on Canada’s most pressing housing issues at RBC Thought Leadership. She has worked extensively on housing affordability, bringing evidence-based insights to inform policy development and advance solutions across sectors. Previously, she was involved with the development of the National Housing Strategy and overseeing the Canadian Housing Survey at CMHC. Her past experience also spans policy and research positions at Canada West Foundation as well as in UK politics.