By Craig Lord
Robertson was requested if the federal government was nonetheless going to chop the charges to decrease the price of homebuilding, however didn’t absolutely reply the query.
“Improvement costs are a major problem for the price of constructing throughout Canada, and that’s why we made a dedication to scale back these costs,” Robertson stated.
“We initially have been 50% discount in partnership with provinces and territories. We’re working via that course of now throughout the nation.”
The minister steered extra particulars will come within the federal finances on Nov. 4.
Robertson’s press secretary Renée Proctor later confirmed to The Canadian Press the dedication to chop improvement costs was nonetheless in impact.
“Canadians gave us a mandate to maneuver rapidly, decrease prices and get housing constructed. As was outlined within the platform, we’re dedicated to reducing municipal improvement costs in half for multi-unit residential housing. We’re wanting ahead to having extra to say quickly,” she stated in response to an inquiry from The Canadian Press later within the day.
The Liberals’ spring election platform vowed to chop improvement costs in half for 5 years by working with provinces and territories to fill gaps left by foregone income. The platform cited upcoming federal investments in water, energy strains and wastewater methods as methods to offset the misplaced money.
Improvement costs — charges paid by builders primarily to cowl the infrastructure prices related to new housing — have been a quickly rising supply of funding for municipalities lately.
Some housing advocates say these rising charges add to the price of constructing and undermine efforts to fill the housing provide hole in Canada.
Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow stated on the Tuesday announcement that financing is a serious hurdle protecting many builders from breaking floor on new properties, and that’s why the town is speaking with Ottawa about adjusting improvement costs.
“We’re actually centered on bringing the price of constructing down. That’s the purpose right here,” Robertson instructed reporters.
“Infrastructure for cities is a big a part of that price, and improvement costs — definitely right here in Toronto and Vancouver, my hometown — are very carefully linked to that infrastructure price.”
Proctor additionally pointed to Robertson telling the Union of B.C. Municipalities conference final month that Ottawa plans to create a program to “strike a steadiness” between decreasing improvement costs and guaranteeing native governments are investing in housing infrastructure.
Robertson stated on the time that tackling constructing prices this fashion could be tough as a result of municipalities deal with improvement charges in a different way throughout the nation, and a few don’t cost them in any respect.
“There isn’t a easy repair however we will probably be introducing these enhancements later this fall,” he stated in September.
The minister was in Toronto to announce federal funding for the town’s sewer infrastructure and for the primary housing undertaking to go ahead via the federal authorities’s new inexpensive housing company, Construct Canada Houses.
The federal authorities will present as much as $283 million via the Canada Housing Infrastructure Fund to improve the town’s Black Creek sewer system, alongside $425 million in funding from the town.
The sewer presently serves some 350,000 residents. Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada stated in a media launch that enhancements to the road will enable Toronto to broaden the system to help constructing an extra 63,000 properties.
The primary Construct Canada Houses undertaking will see 540 items added at Arbo Downsview, not less than 40 per cent of which will probably be inexpensive housing. The company will launch a request for {qualifications} this week for builders that may use factory-built housing applied sciences to ship the undertaking.
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craig lord improvement charges authorities of canada Gregor Robertson minister of housing municipalities The Canadian Press
Final modified: October 14, 2025
