The political economist and senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives Ricardo Tranjan discusses his book The Tenant Class (Between the Lines, 2023), with Joseph Planta.

The Tenant Class by Ricardo Tranjan (Between the Lines, 2023). Click to buy this book from Amazon.ca: Tenant Class

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

One of the more provocative and innovative books of the season is The Tenant Class. In the book, its author Ricardo Tranjan, who joins me now, reframes the discussion about the housing crisis, actually saying it’s wrong to consider it a crisis for it’s working the way it was intended. That the system is rigged for elites, property owners, who funnel wealth away from the working class. That there are more predatory landlords than the so-called mom-and-pop ones, and that’s why rents are as high as they are. That governments just as much reap profit from the status quo, which is why nothing changes. It’s an engaging book that offers solutions, as well as some history. There are examples of when protest against the landlord class has worked, as well as areas where regulation is needed to help the lot of renters. The section of the book that talks about the disinformation in the press about the housing crisis is particularly interesting and makes for necessary reading. Ricardo Tranjan is a political economist and senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. Previously, he managed Toronto’s Poverty Reduction Strategy, and taught at universities in Ontario and Quebec. He holds a PhD from the University of Waterloo, where he was a Vanier Scholar. He is also a frequent commentator in the media. This new book is published by Between the Lines. He joined me from Ottawa, Ontario earlier this week. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Ricardo Tranjan; Dr. Tranjan, good morning.

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