Ontario’s focus on expanding infrastructure projects to support building new homes will help increase the province’s housing supply. But advocates say the efforts are too little, too late.
“The province is doubling down and making some historic and milestone investments in housing-supportive infrastructure — water, wastewater, roads, breaches, transit — the core infrastructure that builds strong communities,” said Neil Rodgers, Interim CEO of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, which represents Ontario’s residential construction industry.
Ontario’s 2024 budget allocates $1 billion toward “housing-enabling municipal infrastructure projects” in municipalities, and quadruples funding for water infrastructure for future housing projects to $825 million.
Budget 2024 also continues Ontario’s Plan to Build, a $190-billion investment over 10 years to build critical infrastructure projects such as highways and transit lines. First introduced in 2022, the plan’s focus is on expanding public transportation to attract housing and businesses to new areas.
But Ontario’s investments are not tackling rising housing prices, says Paul Kershaw, founder and executive chair at Generation Squeeze, a non-profit that advocates for intergenerational wellbeing.
Instead, the budget predicts home prices will continue to rise. Without a commitment to build substantially more homes, Ontario is only punting the issue down the road, Kershaw says.
