Conservatives Will Build Homes For Canadians
Ottawa, ON – During the Lost Liberal Decade, housing costs have doubled, rising faster in Canada than in any other G7 country. When Pierre Poilievre was housing minister, 39 percent of median household income went towards housing costs. Now, it consumes 60 percent. Conservatives will restore the promise of homeownership by building more, taxing less and getting government out of the way.
We’ll start by firing the gatekeepers who block housing construction instead of giving them massive bonuses. A Conservative government will require cities to free up land, speed up permits and cut development charges to build 15 percent more homes each year. If they miss their target, their federal funding will be withheld, equal to how much they miss their target by.
Going forward, this target will compound on top of the previous year’s 15% target. Cities that fail to meet their targets will be required to build even more homes the following year while those who get homes built will be rewarded with a bonus based on how much they exceed the target. Municipalities will also be required to pre-approve building permits for high-density housing around transit stations, and will not receive federal funding for transit until there are keys-in-doors.
Conservatives will provide even more land to build on by selling 15% of the federal government’s 37,000 buildings, and require these buildings be turned into affordable housing. We’ll also end federal delays by cutting the bonuses, salaries and, if needed, firing the gatekeepers at the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation if they fail to approve housing applications in 60 days or less.
We’ll make homes more affordable by axing the federal GST on new homes up to $1.3 million. This would save homebuyers up to $65,000, or roughly $3,000 each year in mortgage payments, on the purchase of an average home in our big cities. It will also spark the creation of 36,000 extra homes annually and combined with today’s announcement incentivizing municipalities to cut development taxes will save $100,000 on an average home in our big cities.
Canadians can’t afford a fourth Liberal term with costs and crime up and our economy down under America’s thumb. We need a new Conservative government that will axe taxes and build homes to put Canada First—For a Change.