:Better Dwelling

Better Dwelling was founded in 2017 as a real estate news service that used artificial intelligence to assist with its data journalism. It was co-founded by Stephen Punwasi, whose background is in cognitive computing and machine learning.{{Cite web|title=Virtual world making more inroads in property marketing|url=https://biv.com/article/2017/10/virtual-world-making-more-inroads-property-marketi|access-date=2021-11-02|website=Business in Vancouver|language=en}}

In 2017, the company began a daily news syndication service carried by mainstream news publishers such as Business Insider, HuffPost,{{Cite web|title=Better Dwelling|url=https://www.huffpost.com/topic/better-dwelling|access-date=2021-11-03|website=HuffPost|language=en}} and Maclean's.{{Cite web|last=Wong|first=Daniel|date=2018-02-16|title=Canadian real estate sales just fell the most since 2008. Here's why.|url=https://www.macleans.ca/economy/realestateeconomy/canadian-real-estate-sales-just-fell-the-most-since-2008-heres-why/|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Macleans.ca|language=en}}

Better Dwelling has reported on the Canadian property bubble and housing crisis.{{Cite web|title=Vancouver housing market is not going to crash|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/vancouver-housing-market-is-not-going-to-crash/|access-date=2021-11-03|website=Vice.com|language=en}} The organization and its staff have collaborated on research with Canada's national housing agency{{Cite web|title=CMHC Housing Finance Symposium 2017 Speakers|url=https://scarp.ubc.ca/sites/scarp.ubc.ca/files/2017%20Housing%20Finance%20Symposium%20Agenda.pdf|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211103071225/https://scarp.ubc.ca/sites/scarp.ubc.ca/files/2017%20Housing%20Finance%20Symposium%20Agenda.pdf |archive-date=2021-11-03 }} and Transparency International Canada.{{Cite web|title=Our Work|url=https://transparencycanada.ca/beneficial-ownership-transparency/our-work|access-date=2021-11-18|website=Transparency International Canada|language=en-US}}

In 2021, Better Dwelling was collateral damage in a controversy surrounding Big Tech's censorship of criticism of China and Optimum Publishing International. The outlet had published what was described by Canadian newspaper National Post as an "innocuous" clip of an interview with Optimum author and Global News reporter Sam Cooper, discussing his coverage of the Cullen Commission. Shortly after publishing the video clip, the outlet's staff was removed from managing its Facebook page. The page was later restored with Facebook stating it was an error.{{Cite web|title=FIRST READING: Censorship is chic again!|url=https://nationalpost.com/news/canada/first-reading-censorship-is-chic-again|access-date=2021-11-02|website=torontosun|language=en-CA}}

The outlet has played a key role in exposing money laundering in Canadian real estate. Notable contributions involve publishing a leaked Canadian intelligence report that alleges transnational criminals have used housing Vancouver, Canada for laundering since the 1990s{{Cite web|last=Greene|first=Tiffany|title=Chinese billionaires, gangsters, and spies have been influencing Canadian real estate for ages|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chinese-billionaires-gangsters-and-spies-on-canadian-real-estate-2016-10|access-date=2021-11-18|website=Business Insider|language=en-US}} and an analysis with Transparency International on billions in opaque ownership in Toronto.{{Cite journal|year=2019|title=Opacity: Why Criminals Love Canadian Real Estate (And How to Fix It)|url=https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5df7c3de2e4d3d3fce16c185/t/5dfb8cf8f8effb79c8bdf415/1576766716341/opacity.pdf|journal=Transparency International|publisher=Transparency International Canada|publication-place=Toronto|pages=60}}

In 2019, the CEO was thanked for their contribution to a report on money laundering and real estate, created at the request of the Government of British Columbia and produced by former RCMP Commissioner Peter German. The report was central to launching the Cullen Commission, B.C.'s anti-money laundering inquiry.{{Cite web|last=German |first=Peter|date=March 31, 2019|title=DIRTY MONEY – PART 2: Turning the Tide - An Independent Review of Money Laundering in B.C. Real Estate, Luxury Vehicle Sales & Horse Racing|url=https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Dirty_Money_Report_Part_2.pdf|url-status=live|access-date=November 18, 2021|website=Government of British Columbia|publisher=Peter German & Associates Inc.|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190510050003/https://news.gov.bc.ca/files/Dirty_Money_Report_Part_2.pdf |archive-date=2019-05-10 }}

The organization's staff testified how money laundering impacts real estate prices at the Cullen Commission, BC's Inquiry Into Money Laundering.{{Cite web|year=2021|title=Overview Report: Lower Mainland Housing Prices|url=https://ag-pssg-sharedservices-ex.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/ag-pssg-cc-exh-prod-bkt-ex/602%20-%20Overview%20Report%20Lower%20Mainland%20Housing%20Prices.pdf|url-status=live|website=Government of BC|publisher=Cullen Commission of Inquiry into Money Laundering in BC|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210415013643/https://ag-pssg-sharedservices-ex.objectstore.gov.bc.ca/ag-pssg-cc-exh-prod-bkt-ex/602%20-%20Overview%20Report%20Lower%20Mainland%20Housing%20Prices.pdf |archive-date=2021-04-15 }}

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Category:Canadian news websites

Category:Newspapers published in Vancouver

Category:Publishing companies established in 2017