BILD applauds city of Mississauga report on causes of housing crisis

The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) applauds the city of Mississauga for releasing its extensive report and encompassing recommendations aimed at spurring development in the municipality. The City of Mississauga’s Partners in Homebuilding: Mayors Housing Task Force Report was tabled today and recognizes the complex challenges facing residential and non-residential construction in the GTA.

“The challenges currently hindering residential and non-residential construction in the GTA are both multifaceted and urgent,” said Dave Wilkes, President and CEO of BILD. “There are no silver bullets to addressing the crisis in the region which is why we are pleased that the city used a stakeholder driven process to seek input and then break down the issues into component parts before recommending a course of action.”

The city’s report provides over 30 clear recommendations and action items to address many of the common barriers to the residential and non-residential construction industry adding housing and employment spaces in Mississauga, including:

• A ‘cost to build crisis’ where the input costs (land, materials and labour) and government fees, taxes and charges added to new homes and non-residential projects result in a cost to build that is exceeding the market’s ability and/or willingness to absorb. This is undermining the financial viability of new projects and driving down starts.
• Excessive bureaucracy and slow approvals that add costs, slow the addition of new supply, and limit choice. This includes overly onerous and prescriptive municipal building and design standards.
• Excessively restrictive zoning that require complex and costly development approvals by builders and developers and limits housing types and density across broad swaths of municipalities.
• A lack of co-ordination and consistent actions by all levels of government and collaboration with industry. This is required to put in place the policies and programs to support the addition of housing and commercial space supply, appropriate housing mix (including rental and below market housing), and promote affordability.

“Mayor Parrish and the City of Mississauga deserve recognition for this important initiative and for their efforts,” added Dave Wilkes. “The Building Industry and Land Development Association, and its members, are fully committed to working with Mississauga to turn these recommendations into real, shovel-ready projects.”