Earlier this month, the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) released a 10-point housing platform to be used as a rubric to grade how aligned the Provincial leadership candidates are with tackling Ontario's housing crisis — and now, the results are in.
The actions range from improving conditions at the still-backlogged Landlord and Tenant Board (LTB) to limiting municipal development charges and are outlined in their platform titled A Home for Everyone 2025. Many of the actions pull from reports and whitepapers previously released by OREA.
In order to grade the candidates, OREA sent each of the four major political parties a survey based on priorities identified on their platform, and recipients had nine days to respond. According to OREA, the Liberals and NDPs filled out the survey, the PCs sent a written submission and the rest was filled in with other information provided and details from housing platforms available online.
“Whether they are voting PC, NDP, Liberal, or Green, Ontarians want leaders who are willing to help people achieve the dream of homeownership, obtain more affordable housing, and break down barriers that prevent them from finding a great place to call home,” says OREA President Rick Kedzior in a press release.
Without further ado, the rankings:
4th Place — Progressive Conservative Party
Of the ten action items identified by OREA as being key to ending Ontario's housing crisis, the PCs only checked off one: "promote and help scale innovative approaches to housing development (i.e. by investing in Ontario's budding modular home industry)."
Of this item OREA says "[The PC's] proposal to encourage modular housing by creating housing innovation guides to help consumers navigate building processes and financing options will help bring more housing supply to market."
The PCs received a partial score for whether or not they intended to improve the efficiency of the LTB and limit municipal development charges, an "X" for ending exclusionary zoning by allowing fourplexes as-of-right, but for the other seven action items they received "N/A" — no response. Those includes things like increasing density near transit through commercial-to-residential building conversions and creating new generations of homeowners by implementing a condoization framework for mutliplexes.
3rd Place — Green Party
The Green Party received mixed marks, with five check marks for improving the LTB, ending exclusionary zoning, promoting innovative approaches to development, condoization, and limiting development charges. However, the Party failed to provide any clear stance on things like funding pilot programs for innovative pathways to homeownership, eliminating the auctioneer exemption loophole, and ensure a better, more practical education for Realtors.
"The Green Party of Ontario is committing to building two million new homes in the next decade by legalizing fourplexes as-of-right across Ontario," says OREA. "This aligns with OREA’s call to end exclusionary zoning by allowing up to four units per single family lot, as-of-right province-wide."
As for the action items they do not intend to pursue, the Green Party received no Xs.
2nd and 1st Place — Liberal Party and New Democratic Party (NDP)
Tied for first place according to their housing report cards are the Liberals and the NDPs. Both parties not only responded to the surveys in full, but received checkmarks for all ten action items, according to their responses and platforms.
"The Ontario Liberal Party proposes to end development charges on new housing units under 3,000 sq. ft and to eliminate the provincial land transfer tax for first-time homebuyers, seniors downsizing, and non-profit homebuilders, aligning with OREA’s recommendation to lower the cost of homeownership," says OREA.
As for the NDPs, "[Their] proposals will double the supply of affordable homes, legalize fourplexes, and increase density around transit," highlights OREA. "They also support eliminating the auctioneer exemption, restoring in-person hearings at the LTB, and establishing a framework to enable innovative co-ownership options for multiplexes."
Find the full report card here.
