BUILDING a Stronger durham Together

At a press conference on June 1st in Ottawa, the provincial and federal governments launched the provincial program for Development Charges Reductions. The announcement outlined mechanisms for municipalities to reduce development charges (DCs) in Ontario while enabling continued investment in housing-supportive infrastructure through federal/provincial funding.

The Canada-Ontario Partnership to Build was announced on March 30 and allocated $8.8 billion to lower development charges in Ontario for 3 years , with the goal of reducing DCs by up to 30 to 50 percent in Ontario’s fastest growing municipalities. 

The announcement, attended by the Honourable Gregor Robertson, Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Peter Bethlenfalvy, Provincial Minister of Finance, and the Honourable Rob Flack, Provincial Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, as well as Scott Andison, CEO of OHBA, provides clarity to municipalities about the application process for that funding, timelines and eligibility requirements.

Key details are as follows:

As of June 1, 2026, eligible municipalities can apply for funding through the Ontario-Canada Development Charges Reduction Program. The deadline to apply is June 19th, 2026. Timelines for the DCRP are intended to coincide with the enhanced HST rebate in order to maximize relief for home builders and home buyers.

Applications will be assessed based on:

• percentage of committed DC rate reduction (minimum 30-50 per cent reduction)
• number of homes projected to build as a result of proposed DC relief
• the municipality’s financial contribution

Housing-enabling projects would be prioritized with consideration for the number of homes enabled by the project. Municipalities are strongly encouraged to be as ambitious as possible in their DC rate reductions to secure the maximum funding for their communities.

For the details on municipal next steps, and the application criteria that they are required to follow, please click here: Development Charges Reduction Program | ontario.ca

A copy of OHBA and BILD's press release can be accessed here. 

To watch today’s announcement, please click here: 

Minister Flack Holds a Press Conference | June 1

MEMBER BRIEFING: OHBA and BILD are working with the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to host a technical briefing for the membership , which is anticipated to take place in mid-June. Please watch for those details.

Announcing two upcoming OHBA webinar sessions featuring industry experts and timely discussions impacting Ontario’s residential construction industry.

Whether you’re a builder, developer, renovator, or industry professional, these sessions are designed to provide practical insight and important industry updates.

Webinar #1

Pay on Demand Surety Bonds for Developers and Builders

Hosted by John Cruickshank, OHBA Manager, Engagement and Advocacy, this session will feature industry insights from:

• Diana Ho, Vice-President, Construction Industry Group, Platform Insurance
• Stephanie Kuntz, Senior Vice-President, Construction Industry Group, Platform Insurance

This webinar will explore key considerations around surety bonds and what builders and developers should know in today’s changing construction landscape.

June 3, 2026
1:00 PM – 2:00 PM

REGISTER HERE

Webinar #2 

Building Better Safety on Ontario Jobsites

Hosted by Jamie Adam, President of Pioneer Craftsmen and Education Chair of the Ontario Renovators' Council, this webinar will feature insights from Robert Babcock, OHS Consultancy Partner with Peninsula Canada.

This session will provide practical guidance for residential builders, renovators, and contractors on workplace safety compliance, supervisor responsibilities, subcontractor accountability, Ministry of Labour enforcement trends, seasonal jobsite risks, and what employers should know to help keep their teams and jobsites safe.

June 9, 2026
12:00 PM – 1:00 PM

REGISTER HERE

The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) invites you to attend our information sessions on the first-time home buyers’ (FTHB) goods and services tax / harmonized sales tax (GST/HST) rebate. The CRA will be offering virtual sessions. 

Information Sessions for Builders and Developers

Who these sessions are for? Builders and developers who want a clear explanation of the FTHB GST/HST rebate. 

What it will cover:

• Eligibility rules for homes purchased from a builder 
• Key restrictions builders must know 
• How builders can pay or credit the rebate to first‑time home buyers 
• How to report the rebate when filing a GST/HST return 
• When builders may be liable for incorrect rebates  

Session date and details for builders and developers:

Date: May 20, 2026 

Time: 1:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern time 

Location: Microsoft Teams Live

Click here to register 

Information Sessions for Professionals and Organizations that Support First‑Time Home Buyers

Who these sessions are for? Professionals and organizations who support or advise first‑time home buyers, including accountants, lawyers, notaries, realtors, financial advisors, and related associations. 

What it will cover:

• Eligibility rules and important restrictions for owner‑built homes and homes purchased from builders. 
• How first‑time home buyers apply for the rebate, through the builder or directly with the CRA. 

Session date and details for professionals and organizations that support first-time home buyers:

Date: May 27, 2026 

Time: 1:30pm – 2:30pm Eastern time  

Location: Microsoft Teams Live 

Click here to register  

Send Your Questions  

Submit questions in advance to help tailor the presentation and materials to your needs and common areas of interest. Submit your questions using the online questions form. 

Removing Barriers to Participation  

The CRA is committed to identifying, removing, and preventing barriers to participation for people with disabilities. The closed captioning feature in MS Teams Live is the main tool to accommodate participants with auditory needs. If you need an alternative tool or service to help you participate, please send an email to engagementg@cra-arc.gc.ca by May 13, 2026.

The OHBA U40 Committee is hosting a Blue Jays Night on Friday, May 8, and tickets are going fast. This event is open to members, colleagues, friends, and family  – so feel free to bring your whole crew!

Guests will get to watch the game from the WestJet Flight Deck at Rogers Centre! A great spot to hang out, connect, and enjoy the game.

A few things to look forward to:
Food voucher included with your ticket
Giveaways throughout the night + chances to win great prizes
Wear your Jays gear and show your team spirit
Social media contest – tag OHBA during the game for a chance to win

Bonus: The first 15,000 fans through the gates will receive a Trey Yesavage Angry Birds replica jersey.

This is a fun way to catch up with industry peers, meet some new faces, and enjoy a night at the ballpark.

We’d love to see DRHBA members out supporting this OHBA-hosted event!

Tickets are limited, so grab yours soon if you’re interested. Purchase Tickets

Interested in getting more involved? Send OHBA an email to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Ontario’s recent HST rebate announcement is an important step toward improving housing affordability and increasing housing supply across the province. As builder activity ramps up, it’s essential for members to understand how Tarion will support builders seeking approval to sell and build under the Enhanced HST Rebate Program.

To help keep our members informed, the Durham Region Home Builders’ Association (DRHBA) is sharing an opportunity hosted by the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA). This exclusive, members‑only webinar will feature Tarion staff providing a clear overview of how Tarion processes are being managed during the rollout of the Enhanced HST Rebate, including what builders can expect as application volumes increase.

Participants will receive practical guidance and best‑practice advice to help ensure applications are complete, efficient, and processed as quickly as possible.

Webinar details:
Tuesday, April 28, 2026
4:00–5:00 PM
Register here

The Ontario Home Builders’ Association is proud to share the launch of its first Annual Report, highlighting the work that was accomplished in 2025 and the value delivered to members across the province.

This report showcases a year of significant progress. From advocacy wins to member support initiatives, OHBA made meaningful strides on behalf of Ontario’s residential construction industry. We have much to be proud of, and this report clearly demonstrates the breadth and impact of the work completed throughout the year.

Looking ahead, OHBA remains committed to working closely with our association and members to strengthen alignment with municipal, provincial, and federal governments. Their focus continues to be ensuring homes can be built efficiently while industry challenges are addressed by key decision‑makers.

Member feedback remains critical to this work. We are always ready to hear from you about what our industry needs most, and are committed to taking action on those priorities.

We would like to thank our members and association leaders for their leadership and dedication in helping steward important reforms and move the organization forward through a period of defining change.

Members are encouraged to share the Annual Report within their organizations and networks. The full report is available here.

The Town of Whitby will be hosting a public meeting on April 27, 2026 at 7 p.m. at Town Hall about their proposed Community Benefits Charge Bylaw.

The Town’s Community Benefits Charge Strategy document can be found here.

DRHBA retained Daryl Keleher of KR Planning Group to review the strategy document and identify any concerns. After reviewing the document, he found that the Town substantiates the full cap with a wide range of eligible costs. While the Town has included some unique types of projects in their strategy, including land for a hospital, the Act provides the Town the freedom to fund whatever projects they choose.

If you have any concerns or comments about Whitby’s CBC strategy, please contact Stacey.

Enbridge Gas applies a cutoff date of September 1 for service applications to be considered for installation within the same construction season. Applications submitted on or before this date are eligible to be scheduled and completed within the current calendar year.

Requests received after September 1 are handled on a best-efforts basis only. As a result, installation cannot be guaranteed within the same calendar year, as scheduling depends on remaining capacity and external constraints.

This cutoff date was established to allow sufficient time to properly review, process, and coordinate each service request. Adequate lead time is necessary to ensure safe and efficient project planning.

In addition, increased requirements from external stakeholders – such as permitting approvals and road cut restrictions – often necessitate extended installation timelines. These factors can further impact scheduling and completion dates, even when applications are submitted before the cutoff.

As of today, April 1, 2026, freehold home purchasers will need to provide notice of their new home purchase to Tarion within 45 days of entering into an agreement. The related change to deposit coverage for each year (capped at $15M for homes where notice is not provided) will commence on January 1st, 2027.

Please see the attached update from Tarion.

Implementation of this initiative had previously been delayed and for some time, uncertain to proceed.

Considerable advocacy to the Ontario government from both OHBA, and Tarion, has resulted in the Agreement of Purchase and Sale changes now proceeding following sign-off late yesterday.

From the time this proposal was first put forward by Tarion in late 2024, OHBA has consistently argued this is an important first step towards addressing illegal building, and far better than potential alternatives. You can find OHBA's first submission to Tarion here and our second submission here. Tarion has modified its initial proposal in line with our advocacy.

At the March 24^th Clarington BILT (Building Industry Liaison Team) meeting, the Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Corporation (DRNPHC) did a presentation for the municipal staff and building industry representatives in attendance. 

The Durham Region Non-Profit Housing Corporation has been in the region for over 40 years, and is an affordable housing provider. Currently, they have over 1,200 rental units that are a mix of deeply affordable units, including 50% rent geared to income (RGI) and 50% low market rent.

DRNPHC is currently working on creating cabin communities across Durham Region to help those living in encampments transition into affordable housing. They are reaching out to the development community for partnerships, and to see if anyone has land they could lend for a few years to house the fully mobile community.

The presentation can be viewed here.

For more information, you can contact DRNPHC’s CEO Tracy Greig at tracy.greig@durham-housing.com or at 905-436-6610 ext. 212.