Vol. 56, No. 1 - Spring 2026

On February 26, 2026, the Association of Ontario Land Economists (AOLE) hosted a remarkably successful full-day event at the exquisite SixtyEight venue at Scotia Plaza, drawing an engaged crowd of over 100 people. The symposium featured a keynote address by the Hon. Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs & Housing. The Keynote address was followed by a series of panels comprised of industry leaders, policymakers, and researchers who offered deep insights into the evolution of 21st-century urban housing and its impact on affordability, supply, and community wellbeing. The event fostered dialogue about realistic, long-term solutions to today’s housing challenges.

We will have more comprehensive coverage of this event in the next Issue of The Land Economist, but for now will provide this brief summary of the Hon. Rob Flack’s keynote address and an outline about the panel topics and participants.

In Hon. Rob Flack Keynote address, he highlighted the following five key points regarding housing policy:

• Reduction and Deferral of Development Charges (DCs): To improve cash flow for builders and lower the “unsustainable” 30% of home costs attributed to taxes and fees in the GTA, the government has eliminated DCs for long-term care homes, deferred payment of DCs until occupancy, and required municipalities to redeploy 60% of their DC revenue more quickly.
• Infrastructure Investment via a Public Utility Model: Recognizing a $200– $250 billion need for water and sewer infrastructure over the next 15 years, Flack proposed a “Municipal Service Corps” model. This would treat water and sewer like hydro, allowing publicly owned utilities to amortize costs over decades rather than placing the burden on new homebuyers.
• Standardization of Building Codes and Official Plans: The Minister emphasized that the “code is king” and is working to eliminate unique municipal interpretations that complicate construction. He aims to standardize the building code and official plans across the province to speed up approvals and lower costs.
• Expansion of “As-of-Right” Approvals: Recent and upcoming legislation (such as Bill 17 and Bill 60) focuses on creating “as-of-right” authority for minor variances, building heights, and lot coverage. This shift is intended to move governments away from “glacial speed” and towards a faster, more business-like pace for housing starts.
• Strategic Tax Exemptions to Stimulate Supply: While the provincial portion of the HST has already been removed for purpose-built rentals—resulting in recordhigh starts—Flack is in negotiations with the federal government to potentially expand these exemptions to all new home builds to “kick start” the industry.

Full article available here.