Municipal Election · October 26, 2026
Remove Housing Roadblocks
Tell your municipal candidates to remove the barriers preventing more homes from being built.
The Problem
Municipal roadblocks are making housing more expensive
Rules, taxes and delays are slowing home building across the GTA and Simcoe County. They add cost to every new home and push ownership further out of reach for families and individuals.
Three Roadblocks
What’s standing in the way
Planning Rules
Restrictive zoning, outdated parking requirements, and unnecessary design rules continue to limit where and how homes can be built.
Slow Approvals
Lengthy approval processes, unnecessary studies, and unpredictable timelines delay housing while driving up costs.
Government Taxes
Sky-high development charges and land transfer taxes add tens of thousands of dollars to the cost of every home.
The Problem
Ontario home building is falling behind
287,000
…housing starts Ontario is behind on its goal to build 1.5 million homes.
Source: Ontario; CMHC 2026
Ontario housing starts vs. provincial target
Annual housing starts against the 150,000-per-year pace needed to reach 1.5 million homes
| Year | Homes started | Target | Shortfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 91,885 | 150,000 | 58,115 |
| 2023 | 85,770 | 150,000 | 64,230 |
| 2024 | 72,118 | 150,000 | 77,882 |
| 2025 | 62,561 | 150,000 | 87,439 |
Source: CMHC 2026
Average home price vs. median household income
Avg. YTD MLS® price (June 2026) beside what a typical household earns in a year
| Community | Average home price | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Oakville | $1,472,292 | $109,000 |
| Richmond Hill | $1,214,046 | $89,000 |
| Vaughan | $1,158,570 | $107,000 |
| Barrie | $1,155,498 | $86,000 |
| Markham | $1,141,212 | $92,000 |
| Toronto | $1,057,442 | $74,000 |
| Newmarket | $1,003,810 | $97,000 |
| Mississauga | $975,512 | $90,000 |
| Brampton | $886,655 | $98,000 |
Source: TRREB 2026; 2021 Statistics Canada
The Problem
GTA and Simcoe County home prices are out of reach
Across the GTA and Simcoe County, home prices have become increasingly disconnected from household incomes. In many communities, the average home now costs many times more than what a typical household earns in a year, putting homeownership further out of reach for families and individuals.
Governments should focus on removing the barriers that drive up costs and make it easier to build the housing Ontario needs.
Our Solution
More homes GTA and Simcoe County families can afford
Improving housing affordability requires action to reduce municipal costs, modernize planning rules, speed up approvals, support missing middle housing, and ensure communities have the infrastructure needed to grow.
TRREB is calling on municipalities to focus on practical reforms that will increase housing supply.
TRREB’s Six-Point Plan to remove municipal roadblocks
- Create More Housing Options: Update zoning rules to make it easier to build townhomes, multiplexes and other missing middle housing.
- Speed Up Housing Approvals: Get homes built faster with clear timelines & application requirements.
- Say No to the MLTT: Stop the spread of the municipal land transfer tax (MLTT) and reform/lower it in the City of Toronto.
- Lower Development Costs: Reduce development charges, improve transparency and keep them low beyond 2028.
- Support Growth: Invest in the infrastructure needed to support growing communities and new housing.
- Keep Housing Affordable: Avoid new municipal taxes and unnecessary costs that make buying or renting a home more expensive.
By the Numbers
GTA and Simcoe County consumers want more housing & fewer roadblocks
90%
…say they are considering voting in the upcoming municipal election.
Source: Ipsos 2026
85%
…are concerned about the current state of housing affordability.
Source: Ipsos 2026
82%
…agree municipalities are not doing enough to address housing affordability.
Source: Ipsos 2026
76%
…are frustrated by the lack of progress on housing affordability.
Source: Ipsos 2026
69%
…say the housing situation in their city will impact how they vote in the upcoming municipal election.
Source: Ipsos 2026
60%
…say they would be more likely to vote for a mayoral candidate focused on improving housing affordability.
Source: Ipsos 2026
The Report
GTA and Simcoe County REALTOR® solutions to Canada’s housing crisis
The GTA and Simcoe County’s housing challenges can’t be solved with one policy or program alone. Housing is a system — interconnected with infrastructure, planning, labour, taxation, and the broader economy.
That’s why effective housing solutions must tackle multiple issues at once: from lowering taxes to innovative new solutions like factory-built homes, to speeding up approvals and ensuring affordability.
News & Views
Latest Coverage
Op-ed
This municipal election, clear the way for more housing
Writing in Real Estate Magazine, TRREB President Daniel Steinfeld tells voters that municipal councils set the rules, fees and approval timelines that decide how much housing gets built.
Municipal leaders cannot control interest rates or global economic conditions. They can, however, decide whether housing approvals take months or years, whether zoning permits the homes families need and how heavily housing is taxed.
Daniel Steinfeld, TRREB President
Real Estate Magazine · September 29, 2026
Podcast
Before the Ballots: Housing Affordability and City Development
On TRREB’s Ready to Real Estate podcast, Jason Mercer talks with journalist Jessica Smith Cross, radio talk show host Brian Crombie and housing advocate Stephen Adler about what voters want from this election. They cover affordability, development charges and approval delays, and why turnout could decide the closest races.
This election isn’t really about left versus right. It’s about promise versus performance.
Brian Crombie, The Brian Crombie Hour
Ready to Real Estate podcast · October 2, 2026
Add Your Voice
Municipal election · October 26, 2026
Tell your candidates — remove the roadblocks to new housing
Candidates want your vote. When they knock on your door, ask them these questions:
- If elected, will you oppose new municipal land transfer taxes that make buying a home even less affordable?
- If elected, will you support lowering development charges and speeding up development approvals?
- If elected, will you support zoning changes that make it easier to build townhomes, multiplexes and other missing middle housing?
Get Out the Vote
Get out the TRREB REALTOR® vote
TRREB REALTORS® live, work and do business in every community across the GTA and Simcoe County. Your vote matters! Make a plan to vote on or before Monday, October 26, 2026.
You can vote if you are a Canadian citizen, at least 18 years old, and live in or otherwise qualify (e.g. own property) as an elector in the municipality.
How do I vote?
Voting methods, advance voting dates and locations vary by municipality. Visit your municipality’s election website for local information.
Election Day: Monday, October 26, 2026
Find your municipality’s election website
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Halton Region (4)
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Build More Homes
More homes. Fewer roadblocks.
Tell your municipal candidates to remove municipal roadblocks so more homes can be built, faster and at a lower cost.