Government News
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Municipal Candidates Must Choose, Higher Taxes or More Homeownership
Over the past few years, governments have taken important steps to improve housing affordability. Ontario and the federal government have worked together to significantly reduce development charges and lower the harmonized sales tax (HST) on new homes. The governments took these steps largely because high housing taxes make homes less affordable and discourage new construction.…
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MLTT Relief is a Significant Step Forward for Homebuyers in Toronto
Toronto residents continue to express concern about how municipalities raise revenue, and the Municipal Land Transfer Tax (MLTT) remains a top concern. The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) is calling on municipal candidates to address a significant upfront cost facing homebuyers, including modernizing the outdated first-time homebuyer MLTT rebate and reducing the onerous MLTT upfront…
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TRREB’s Municipal Election Campaign – What We Are Fighting For
On October 26, voters across Ontario will elect the municipal leaders who will make some of the most important decisions affecting housing affordability and supply in their communities. This is a housing election, and voters want solutions. New Ipsos polling that TRREB commissioned shows that 90 per cent of residents across the GTA and Barrie…
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TRREB Advocates for Federal Financial Measures to Support Homeownership Housing Supply
Housing affordability remains one of TRREB’s top advocacy priorities. At the federal level, financing is among the most effective tools for improving housing affordability. Over the past decade, targeted initiatives supporting rental housing, such as the Apartment Construction Loan Program, have demonstrated the impact of financial incentives. The concentration of purpose-built rental projects among 2025…
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TRREB Supports Greater Consumer Transparency on Development Charge Disclosure in New Home Purchase Agreements
TRREB continues to address the growing impact of government taxes, fees, and charges on housing affordability across Ontario. Government-imposed costs can account for an estimated 30 to 36 per cent of the total cost of a new home. Development charges (DCs) make up a significant portion of these costs, accounting for roughly 20 per cent…
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New Municipal Election Poll Shows Strong Voter Support For Action on Housing Affordability in GTA and Barrie
85% of GTA and Barrie residents are concerned about housing affordability and 69% say housing will impact their vote in the upcoming municipal election Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Barrie residents are signalling strong intentions to vote in the upcoming municipal election, and housing affordability is a defining issue at the ballot box, according to new…
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Simcoe County and Vaughan Development Charge Reduction Program update
The City of Vaughan and Simcoe County announced substantial reductions to their development charges through the Ontario Development Charge Reduction Program (DCRP). These announcements highlight an important principle for housing affordability. Reducing development charges (DCs) can lower the upfront cost of housing, but municipalities also need support to continue investing in the infrastructure required to…
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Selling Your Home? Why it Pays to Work with a TRREB Member REALTOR®
Selling your home involves more than listing your property. You need to determine the right price, prepare your home, attract qualified buyers, review offers, and negotiate an agreement that supports your goals. A TRREB Member REALTOR® combines local expertise with access to comprehensive market data and professional resources to guide you through every stage of…
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TRREB Supports OPG’s Renewal of the Pickering Nuclear Station Operating Licence
Joining forces with the Central Lakes Association of REALTORS® (CLAR), TRREB submitted a letter to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission in support of Ontario Power Generation’s application to renew the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station Power Reactor Operating License for a ten-year term until December 2036. The continued operation and refurbishment of the Pickering Nuclear Generating…
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TRREB Provides Solutions to Make Ontario’s Building Code Clearer and More Practical
The Building Code plays an important role in determining what types of housing builders can construct economically. Planning and zoning reforms alone will not increase housing supply if Building Code requirements make new housing impractical or prohibitively expensive. As the province conducts a line-by-line review of the Ontario Building Code, TRREB has submitted a written…
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TRREB Advocating for Streamlined and Easier Ownership Model for Multiplex Housing
TRREB is working with the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) to advocate to the provincial government for a new, streamlined condo ownership model tailored to missing middle and single-lot homes, specifically focusing on multiplexes of six units or fewer. High construction costs and rental-focused development have kept uptake relatively low in municipalities that allow multiplexes. Encouraging a more streamlined, cost-effective…
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Advocacy Update: TRREB North Government Relations Committee (GRC) Working Group
The TRREB North Government Relations Committee (GRC) Working Group has been discussing a range of planning and housing policy issues impacting York Region and Simcoe County. Key topics include provincial Official Plan reviews, provincial reforms to municipal land-use planning, minimum lot sizes, and ongoing Building Code consultations focused on reducing construction costs and improving housing…