Statement on Premier Wynne Meeting on Housing Affordability

“It’s good to see Premier Wynne and GTHA mayors coming together today to discuss housing affordability. Focused and coordinated leadership at the provincial and municipal level can make a real difference in preserving the Canadian dream of affordable home ownership.

One way to provide more affordable housing options for Ontarians is to remove the barriers that prevent municipalities from expediting the permit approval process for home builders. In Ontario, it can take over 18 months to get municipal approvals for standard, single-family and multiple-dwelling projects that may require rezoning. Another solution is to invest in infrastructure to service housing ready land. We need to put more new builds and resale homes on the market faster, and the kinds of homes that first-time buyers and young families can afford, like townhomes, duplexes and stacked-townhomes.”

Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association