The building industry applauds Ontario and federal governments for launching the DCs reduction program
Toronto, June 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) and the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA) applaud today’s announcement by the provincial and federal governments for the Canada-Ontario Municipal Development Charges Reduction Program. This program will enable Ontario municipalities to reduce development charges (DCs), while enabling continued investment in housing-supportive infrastructure through federal/provincial funding.
“We are appreciative of the leadership shown by the provincial and federal governments to implement this program that will allow development charges to be lowered while still prioritizing infrastructure funding to support housing development,” said Dave Wilkes, President and CEO of BILD. “This initiative allows municipalities to move to the next phase in their DC-reduction efforts and means that cost reductions are on the horizon for new housing in the province. Housing projects across the GTA and Ontario have been stalled in recent years due to high costs and other factors impacting project viability. The implementation of this program is another step towards stabilizing the housing sector and ensuring broader economic growth in the province.”
The Canada-Ontario Municipal Development Charges Reduction Program allocates $8.8 billion to lower development charges in Ontario over three years with the goal of reducing DCs by up to 30 to 50 per cent in Ontario’s fastest growing municipalities. Today’s announcement will open an application-based process whereby municipalities can apply for funding for shovel-ready housing supportive infrastructure projects.
“Builders across Ontario strongly support the Canada-Ontario commitment to reduce development charges and lower the cost of building new homes. We thank both levels of government for recognizing that reducing these charges is essential to improving new home affordability and restoring project viability,” said Scott Andison, Chief Executive Officer of the OHBA. “The sooner municipalities can begin reducing development charges across all home types and make new projects viable, the sooner builders can get more homes built. We look forward to municipalities stepping up as partners in this effort and helping ensure projects can proceed efficiently and cost-effectively, to achieve our common goal of building more homes for Ontario families at a price they can afford.”
Development charges are a one-time, upfront payment that developers and homebuilders pay to municipalities to fund housing supportive infrastructure like roads, water and wastewater systems, and parks. These fees are then passed down to homebuyers through the cost of a new home. Over the last 15-20 years, development charges have hit record highs, with some regions experiencing as much as a 1,000 per cent increase in DCs.
Numerous studies measuring the impact of development charges on housing supply and affordability have been published in the last decade, many of which can be accessed on BILD’s website at Industry Reports | BILD.
About the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA)
The Ontario Home Builders’ Association is the voice of the building, land development and professional renovation industry in Ontario, representing 4,000 member companies organized into 28 local associations across the province. Since 2007, OHBA members have built more than 700,000 homes in more than 500 Ontario communities. The residential construction industry employs more than 500,000 people across the province and contributes more than $66.6 billion to Ontario’s economy.
About the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)
With more than 1,000 member companies, BILD is the voice of the home building, residential and non-residential land development and professional renovation industries in the Greater Toronto Area. The building and renovation industry provides 256,000 jobs in the region and $39.3 billion in investment value. BILD is affiliated with the Ontario and Canadian Home Builders’ Associations.
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For additional information or to schedule an interview, please contact:
OHBA: Liz Davidson at ldavidson@ohba.ca (416-677-1975)
BILD: Nadine Habib at nhabib@bildgta.ca (416-617-7994) or Justin Sherwood at jsherwood@bildgta.ca (416-371-6005)
Nadine Habib Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) 416-617-7994 nhabib@bildgta.ca Justin Sherwood Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) 416-371-6005 jsherwood@bildgta.ca Liz Davidson Ontario Home Builders' Association 416-677-1975 ldavidson@ohba.ca
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