Collaboration was the name of the game at the Central Ontario Housing Summit, co-hosted by the West End Home Builders’ Association (WEHBA) and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) and our presenting sponsor Enbridge in early November. The event was jam packed with productive discussions and valuable insights from industry leaders, elected officials and experts across Ontario.

Need for holistic examination

The day began with opening remarks from WEHBA Chair David Ionico and Presenting Sponsor, Enbridge, followed by an address from Rob Flack, minister of municipal affairs and housing. Minister Flack summed up development in Ontario in one short sentence: It takes too long and costs too much to deliver housing in Ontario. The Minister outlined actions the provincial government is taking, such as removing the provincial portion of the HST for new-home buyers purchasing homes of less than $1 million and reforming development charges. OHBA CEO Scott Andison emphasized the importance of recognizing the new home industry as a system that needs to be examined holistically to deliver better outcomes.

A Local Politics of Housing panel brought together Mayor Joe Preston (City of St. Thomas), Councillor Maureen Wilson (City of Hamilton) and Councillor Paul Sharman (City of Burlington) for a thoughtful discussion exploring the challenges of representing their constituents, building consensus with the private sector and advancing housing supply amidst the difficult political climate.

We also heard an insightful economic overview from Derek Burleton, vice-president and deputy chief economist at TD, who predicts Canada will avoid a recession but experience lacklustre growth and a challenging 2026 and 2027 for development. Burlington Mayor Marianne Meed Ward, Chair of Ontario Big City Mayors, shared valuable municipal perspectives on housing and growth and the actions her city is taking to move development from the application pipeline to shovels in the ground, such as exploring options for a temporary elimination of local development charges.

Need for ground-oriented, family-sized housing

Dr. Mike Moffatt, founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative, explored the need for ground-oriented, family-sized housing in the GTHA to prevent continued migration from the region to smaller Ontario communities. Dr. Moffat was followed by the Builders Who Survived the 1990s panel, moderated by Terri Johns (Landwise). Panelists Jeff Paikin (New Horizon Development Group), Danny Gabriele (Marz Homes) and Bob Finnigan (Heathwood Homes) shared lessons from past market challenges and insights for surviving the current downturn and building a stronger future.

A Fireside Chat featured Paula Tenuta (BILD), Andrew Whittemore (City of Mississauga), and Arvin Prasad (City of Hamilton), offering candid discussion on the policy, planning and process improvements needed to move housing projects forward. The cultural attitude within municipal planning departments was identified as vital, with planners needing to be facilitators and not regulators.

The day was concluded remarks from Andrea Khanjin, ninister of red-tape reduction, and Christina Giannone, chair of OHBA, who summarized efforts to smooth out the process and items for future OHBA advocacy, respectively.

Together, we are taking action to break down silos and improve collaboration between municipal, federal, provincial and private stakeholders. Collaboration is necessary to improve the speed, efficiency and cost effectiveness of delivering the housing that Ontarians desperately need.