This municipal election: clear the way for more housing

On Oct. 26, 2026, Ontarians will elect mayors and councillors who influence how much housing gets built, where it's built, how fast projects move, and ultimately how much homes cost. Daniel Steinfeld, president of the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, lays out how municipal choices add to housing costs and what concrete changes local governments can make.

From 2022 through 2025 Ontario recorded about 304,000 housing starts — roughly half of what the province needed to meet its target. In 2025 alone housing starts fell to just over 62,000. The shortfall shows up as higher prices and fewer ownership opportunities, especially for younger households.

What municipalities can and cannot do

Municipal governments did not create the broader economic forces that affect housing: interest rates, financing and construction input costs. Yet municipalities control many of the rules, fees and approval processes that determine whether projects are viable. When local charges and delays add too much cost or risk, developers delay, downsize, or cancel projects.

• Development charges and municipal fees. These have risen sharply and can push projects past financial feasibility. Municipal councils should assess whether the taxes, fees and charges on housing help address needs or make them worse.

• Approval timelines. Every month in the approval process adds cost that gets passed on to buyers and renters. Greater standardization, firm timelines, updated digital processes and stronger accountability can make approvals faster while preserving planning standards.

• Zoning and housing types. The debate often frames options as detached homes versus towers, but there's a middle range: duplexes, triplexes, fourplexes, townhomes, laneway suites and small apartments. Allowing up to four units as of right on urban residential lots would add supply incrementally and more affordably in existing neighbourhoods.

• Parking rules. Mandatory parking minimums raise costs and use land inefficiently, especially near transit. Eliminating unnecessary parking requirements near transit would reduce development costs and free up space for housing.

• Municipal taxes on transactions. Local taxes such as Toronto's municipal land transfer tax are a significant burden for first-time buyers. Steinfeld argues Toronto should look to reduce that burden and other municipalities should avoid similar taxes.

Why this is political and practical

Candidates need to be clear on practical steps. Will they lower municipal costs tied to housing? Will they commit to measurable timelines for approvals? Will they permit missing-middle housing types as of right? Will they reject new taxes on homebuyers? These are the decisions that determine whether homes get built faster and at lower cost.

Municipal leaders can't control global economics, but they can decide whether approvals take months or years, whether zoning allows more housing types, and how heavily housing is taxed. If the goal is more affordable homes, start by making them easier and less costly to build. For voters, this election is an opportunity to elect officials who will remove avoidable barriers to housing.