TORONTO, March 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At a time of significant economic uncertainty and declining housing starts, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) welcomes the Province of Ontario’s introduction of the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, as another step toward addressing the Province’s housing supply and infrastructure challenges. TRREB is particularly encouraged by the legislation’s focus on removing regulatory barriers that continue to delay and add cost to new housing development.
Proposed changes to simplify and standardize official plans and clarify site plan rules will help create a more predictable and efficient planning framework across Ontario, reducing uncertainty, shortening timelines, and improving project feasibility. Reforms to site plan control, including limiting municipal design requirements that go beyond health and safety, are also an important step toward ensuring local processes support timely housing delivery.
TRREB also supports the Province’s intention to modernize the Building Code through a comprehensive review process, recognizing that growing complexity has become a barrier to innovation and efficiency. The introduction of provincial authority to establish minimum lot-size standards will help enable more efficient use of serviced urban land and support a broader range of housing types, including missing-middle housing. In addition, measures to improve transparency around development charges and other government-imposed costs, such as potential disclosure requirements are a positive step toward strengthening accountability and helping homebuyers better understand the drivers of housing costs.
These are all reforms TRREB has advocated for as part of a TRREB-led Housing Advancement Coalition. TRREB would like to acknowledge the leadership of Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, the Honourable Rob Flack, for his important work in bringing this legislation forward. This will significantly build on the Province’s broader housing agenda. TRREB would like to acknowledge the leadership of Prime Minister Carney and Premier Ford in negotiating the development charges reduction agreement.
TRREB also welcomes the signing of the Canada–Ontario Partnership to Build by the Ontario and Federal Governments, which introduces a new commitment to reduce municipal development charges. Development charges amount to up to 20 per cent of a home’s purchase price. TRREB has relentlessly advocated for this type of reform and is pleased to see action.
The proposed $8.8 billion cost-shared program over 10 years will support housing-enabling infrastructure, while prioritizing funding for municipalities that reduce development charges by 30 to 50 per cent for at least three years. This approach recognizes the critical role that upfront government-imposed costs play in limiting housing construction and affordability.
Across the Greater Golden Horseshoe, development charges are the highest in Ontario amounting to over $100,000 added to the cost of a new home. These costs are ultimately passed on to buyers and can significantly impact the viability of new housing projects, particularly for entry-level and missing-middle housing. When combined with the proposed enhanced 13 per cent HST New Housing Rebate announced last week, capped at $130,000 in HST savings for all homebuyers, these measures will directly reduce the cost of building and purchasing a home.
TRREB is eager to continue partnering with the Province and municipalities to address persistent municipal-level barriers to new housing that exist at the municipal level. Local zoning frameworks, development approval timelines, and other regulatory requirements are ongoing roadblocks to new housing supply. These persistent challenges must be addressed to ensure that provincial reforms translate into meaningful increases in housing construction.
TRREB, through its leadership of our Housing Advancement Coalition that includes local, provincial and federal builders, innovators, trade and labour associations, rental providers, not-for-profit organizations and other industry partners, will continue to work with all levels of government to advance practical, evidence-based solutions that remove these barriers and support the delivery of more homes for Ontarians.
Daniel Steinfeld
President
Toronto Regional Real Estate Board
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About TRREB:
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board is Canada’s largest real estate board, with almost 70,000 residential and commercial professionals connecting people, property, and communities.
