For many Ontarians, the dream of homeownership feels harder to reach than it should. Families looking for more space, first-time buyers trying to enter the market, individuals and renters hoping for more choice, and young people planning their future all face the same challenge: Ontario needs more homes, and it needs the right types of homes.

Ontario has made progress

The province has taken important steps in recent years to address housing supply and affordability. Since 2018, the Ontario government has introduced a series of housing bills aimed at speeding up approvals, reducing barriers and cost, and supporting new construction. These efforts matter, and they show a clear recognition that housing supply must remain a top priority.

Ontario recorded nearly 100,000 housing starts in both 2021 and 2022, a record level of homebuilding for the province. Since then, rising interest rates, higher construction costs, economic uncertainty and persistent municipal barriers have slowed momentum. In 2025, Ontario recorded just over 62,000 housing starts, less than half the level needed to stay on track. Since 2022, the cumulative shortfall has already exceeded 287,000 homes.

That shortfall represents more than a statistic. It represents families and individuals waiting longer to move, first-time buyers facing fewer options, renters competing in a tight market, and communities struggling to grow in a way that supports the people who live and work there.

Municipal roadblocks still stand in the way

TRREB recently released its new housing policy report, Removing Roadblocks: Tackling Municipal Barriers to Housing Supply and Affordability in Ontario. The report outlines the next phase of reforms needed to help Ontario build more homes, improve affordability and create more housing choice.

Ontario’s housing affordability challenge did not happen overnight. It is the result of decades of policy choices aimed at managing growth, funding infrastructure, protecting neighbourhoods and ensuring proper consultation. Many of those measures were well-intentioned, but together, they have created a system where housing is often slower, costlier and harder to build than it needs to be.

Municipal planning rules, approval delays, technical requirements, local charges and inconsistent processes all add time and cost to new housing. These barriers often hit the projects Ontario needs most, including entry-level homes, family-sized homes, rental housing and missing middle options such as multiplexes and midrise buildings.

If Ontario wants to improve affordability, it must make it easier to deliver more of these homes. That means removing outdated barriers while still supporting responsible growth and strong communities.

TRREB’s roadmap for reform

TRREB’s report identifies 13 key policy barriers across municipal planning, fiscal tools and regulatory systems. It also puts forward 42 targeted recommendations to better align local rules with Ontario’s housing supply goals.

Some of the recommendations are straightforward. Ontario should permit four units as-of-right on urban residential lots. It should standardize planning application requirements provincewide, so builders do not face a different process in every municipality. It should introduce stronger accountability when municipalities miss approval timelines, and modernize the Building Code to support more missing middle housing.

Cost matters, too. Development charges, municipal taxes and fees can add significant costs to new homes and those costs often get passed on to buyers and renters. TRREB is calling for reforms to development charges and Toronto’s Municipal Land Transfer Tax, which continue to affect affordability and market choice.

Good planning and faster housing delivery should work together. Ontario needs a system that supports responsible growth while removing unnecessary barriers that make homes slower and more expensive to build.

Keeping housing affordability within reach

We cannot control every factor affecting the housing market. Global economic conditions, interest rates, inflation and construction costs all play a role. But governments can control whether outdated rules, rising local costs and unnecessary delays continue to hold back new housing.

Ontario has already made meaningful progress, and now it must continue the work of removing municipal roadblocks that prevent the province from building the homes people need. Housing supply is not an abstract policy issue. It affects where people live, how long they commute, whether families can stay in their communities, and whether young people believe homeownership can still be part of their future.

The path forward requires focus, accountability and a willingness to modernize systems that no longer meet today’s needs. If Ontario keeps removing barriers and supports the right types of housing, it can create a stronger, more affordable housing market for families, individuals, first-time buyers and renters.

To learn more about TRREB’s ongoing work and other advocacy initiatives, visit trreb.ca/advocacy.