It’s report card time – and not just for Canada’s students. The Report Card on More and Better Housing, which grades provincial and federal governments on their progress relative to the 140 policy recommendations made by the Task Force for Housing & Climate, has just been released.
And it isn’t exactly grounds for celebration. Far from it, actually.
The Report Card from More and Better Housing Canada – a coalition made up of some of the biggest players in urban planning and housing – grades federal and provincial governments according to five criteria identified by the Task Force for addressing Canada’s housing affordability crisis. These include legalizing density, improving building codes, accelerating factory-built housing, avoiding building in high-risk areas, and filling in market gaps.
Of course, the urgent narrative driven home by everyone from politicians and developers to economists and urban planners is that Canada must build millions (yes, millions) of more homes in the next five years alone to solve the country’s relentless housing affordability crisis. So, supply-side initiatives are front and centre in this grading system.
No "As" or "Bs" For The Provinces
The report card gives Canada's provincial governments – which control laws that impact things like development charges, building codes, and municipal compliance – dismal marks in making the proper moves to facilitate more supply.
In short, no province scored above a C+.
Quebec was one of the highest achievers, with a C+ overall, but had notably poor scores in Legalizing Density and Better Building Codes. On the bright side, the province earned a B+ in Avoiding High Risk Areas. The province has some of the strongest prohibitions against building in flood-prone areas. In June 2024, Quebec published draft regulations that expand areas subject to flood protection by 30 to 40%.
British Columbia also received an overall grade of C+, but the report points to struggles when it comes to municipal fees and long approval delays. The report points to positive moves by the province, however, like the single-egress apartment legalization – something the report calls a “bold reform.”
Ontario – which features sky-high development fees in cities like Toronto – scored a C, with things like the slow addition of affordable housing, progress in legalizing density with higher unit maximums, and persistently high development charges bringing down the grade. Though the province has made progress building homes in safer areas, notes the report.
While its beef may score high grades, Alberta’s provincial government received the lowest grade on its housing report, with a D+. The province can thank its failure to adopt better building codes, incentivize factory-built housing, and regulate construction in flood-prone areas, according to the report. It does note “small reforms” implemented by municipal governments in Calgary and Edmonton.
“Provincial governments control the bulk of housing policy tools and must step up,” said Dr. Mike Moffatt, founding director of the Missing Middle Initiative (MMI), a Task Force member, and author of the report card. “Provinces often speak about the housing crisis, but many are not walking the talk. Without meaningful reform from all orders of government, we won’t build the homes Canadians need.”
While provincial reforms are undoubtedly positive, municipal red tape continues to present major roadblocks to home construction. “Provincial reforms are often accompanied by poison pills, like height maximums, high taxes, and slow approval times, which render these reforms ineffective,” noted Moffatt. “As a result, housing starts were down over 30% in both Ontario and British Columbia in the first quarter of 2025 relative to 2024.”
A Solid "B" For The Federal Government
Meanwhile, the federal government scored the highest overall grade of “B” for having adopted several key recommendations made by the task force, including federal tax incentives for rental construction, leasing of federal land for housing, and incentivizing municipal zoning reforms. These measures are having a positive impact on housing supply, according to the report card.
“Canada needs more homes, and they must be homes that meet the needs of today — affordable, climate aligned, and resilient to floods, wildfires and extreme heat,” said the Honourable Lisa Raitt, former deputy leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and co-chair of the Task Force for Housing and Climate, which commissioned the report. “Currently, no government is doing enough to get these homes built.”
The report card calls for enhanced federal leadership through increased transparency regarding the Housing Accelerator Fund, which gives cities millions of dollars to build homes. It also advocates for the implementation of a Nationwide Hazard Mapping Initiative to discourage construction in areas with high flood and fire risks. It urges the government to unlock new affordable and sustainable housing to take us well into the years ahead.
No Surprises
While not encouraging, the report card results also aren't exactly surprising. After all, housing starts have calmed from coast to coast due to everything from sociopolitical conditions to labour shortages, construction costs, and – of course – high development charges. In March, for example, housing starts plummeted by 65% in Toronto and 56% in Vancouver.
In an April 2025 report, Moffatt's MMI called Ontario’s development charge situation a crisis – and the biggest contributor to the housing crisis. These charges are simply too high and growing at an unsustainable rate, it says. It states that housing taxes can be lowered, and that there are better ways to pay for local infrastructure.
In recent reports, MMI has also argued that federal government has been unable to articulate a clear message on what needs to happen to home prices, that it doesn’t know what it is trying to accomplish with middle-class housing, and lacks clear goals and objectives. It outlines what it calls a “rough sketch” of a “middle class housing plan” for the federal government. Of its 10 recommendations for making new housing affordable again, half of them zero in on supply-boosting measures.
In the meantime, the federal government remains on the hook to provide 5.8 million affordable, low-carbon, and resilient homes by 2030. Here's to hoping for a better report card next time around.
