Windsor-Essex housing officials are encouraged by the rollout of a new rebate to support first-time homebuyers in purchasing newly built homes. Following its announcement last year, the Canada Revenue Agency has opened the application period for eligible buyers to recover up to $50,000 on new construction homes or substantially renovated homes valued at up to $1 million through a rebate of the GST or the federal portion of the HST. Julianna Biondo, the President of the Windsor-Essex County Association of Realtors (WECAR), said they’ve long advocated for the support for years. “There’s no doubt that it will make a difference,” Biondo told CTV News on Wednesday. “We’ve been well aware that we need that type of stimulation.” Despite lobbying efforts, Biondo was disappointed that the federal government didn’t extend the rebate beyond first-time buyers. “You really want to stimulate that sector, which is suffering at this time, that is a surefire way to drum up some activity,” she said. In Windsor-Essex, Biondo said most people entering the housing market for the first time have a budget that doesn’t exceed $500,000. “I don’t know of any new construction that’s happening in that price point that would be attractive for a first-time buyer,” she said. The region’s real estate market is in a state of “transition,” Biondo noted, with a lack of consumer confidence. “We still want to make sure that homeowners have the opportunity to get into the market, have the opportunity to sell that entry-level home, get an upgrade house, buy that first-time house,” she added. Over the past year, Windsor has seen a slowdown in housing construction. According to the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, Windsor recorded 1,262 new housing starts in 2025. Compared to 2024, when Windsor logged 2,157 starts, it’s a 41 per cent decrease. At Nor-Built Construction, Norbert Bolger said clients have been waiting on the rebates to begin so they can close on their first home. “We’ve had somebody waiting for the last six months, waiting to sign a deal to get this [rebate],” Bolger said. Bolger, who chairs the Windsor Essex Home Builders’ Association, said new housing activity has been “dead” due to economic uncertainty, largely created by trade tensions between Canada and the U.S. While there have been concerns about housing starts continuing to cool in 2026, Bolger said he’s hopeful the rebates can help the sector turn a corner. “At the end of the day, all these charges get passed on to the consumer. So, all these rebates and deductions get passed on to the consumer. It’s a win-win,” he added. Following in the federal government’s footsteps, the Ford government announced similar tax relief for first-time home buyers last fall. After talks with other housing officials, Bolger said he believes efforts could be underway to expand that relief to all buyers.
