Ontario's housing shortage focus of tour by builders' association

Housing shortage focus of home builders tour The Ontario Home Builders Association is on a province-wide tour to hear more about the shortage of housing supply.

The Ontario Home Builders Association is on a province-wide tour to hear more about the shortage of housing supply plaguing Ontario.

Members of the association stopped in Sudbury on Monday to hear from people shut out of the market, potential buyers and builders.

To address the crisis, the association said Ontario must build at least one million homes in the next 10 years. With provincial and municipal elections this year, it wants to make the issue front and centre, calling on governments to cut red tape and get shovels in the ground.

"Essentially we are in a crisis. People are getting frustrated, they have a lot of anxiety and they are getting upset in their inability to find a home to buy at a price they can afford," said Bob Schickedanz, the president of the Ontario Home Builders' Association.

And we are finding that Sudbury is not immune to this crisis."

According to the Sudbury and District Homebuilders Association, an increase of 17.2 per cent in development charges introduced by the City of Greater Sudbury will add another $3,000-$3,500 to the price of a new home effective July 1.

"It's definitely a barrier," said Derek Cashmore, the president of the Sudbury & District Home Builders' Association.

"As we attach more fees and we do more things, again more red tape and more fees and more taxes it makes it more difficult for people to actually do the developing to get it back in the hands of people who need it."

The association said labour and skilled trades shortages are some of the other barriers builders are facing.

"There is also a shortage in their industry as far as building inspectors and plans examiners," said Louie Zagordo, vice-president of the Ontario Home Builders' Association.

"So we need to find a way how we could rapid and move those processes a lot quicker so as builders, we can hit the ground a lot faster."

The association is asking people concerned about the crisis to sign a pledge on its website to become involved, share their stories and to support building more homes in communities big and small across Ontario.