Ontario Getting Homes and Infrastructure Built Faster and Smarter

VAUGHAN — Today, Ontario is introducing the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 to help speed up the construction of new homes and infrastructure, including by streamlining development processes and reducing costs in close partnership with municipalities. The province is also increasing its historic investment in housing-enabling infrastructure by adding $400 million in immediate funding to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund (HEWSF) and Municipal Housing Infrastructure Fund (MHIP) for a total of nearly $2.3 billion over four years across the HEWSF and the MHIP.

"We are instilling hope for young people across Ontario that their government is throwing everything at this to reduce housing costs and get more affordable housing built" said Stephen Lecce, MPP for King-Vaughan. "Our government's significant investment in infrastructure is helping to lay the foundations for more housing, built faster, so the next generation can achieve the same dream of homeownership as the last."

“We are taking bold action to protect Ontario in the face of economic uncertainty by speeding up construction so we can lower housing costs and keep workers on the job,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. “The legislation we’re tabling today responds to recommendations and requests from municipal leaders, and will help build the homes and infrastructure Ontario needs.”

The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025, if passed, and related actions would:

• Spur new construction by simplifying and standardizing development charges based on measures that were developed in consultation with municipalities, including measures that some municipalities have already implemented. Ontario will work with municipalities to continue simplifying, streamlining and reducing costly local development fees that can add hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cost of new homes.

  
  

• Remove barriers for Canadian manufacturers who want to introduce innovative materials, systems and building designs that could reduce construction costs and expedite projects.

  
  

• Streamline and improve planning and delivery for transit-oriented communities, creating more jobs and housing options near transit.

  
  

• Reduce costs and speed up project approvals with consistent building construction standards across Ontario municipalities.

  
  

• Significantly speed up getting shovels in the ground to build major transit projects by extending measures in the Building Transit Faster Act, 2020 to all provincial transit projects.

  
  

• Simplify, streamline and bring consistency and transparency to development applications, land use planning approvals, and contents of municipal official plans. These changes would make it easier and faster to build residential, commercial and industrial buildings within and across Ontario’s municipalities.

  
  

• Ontario’s road building standards can differ across the province’s 444 municipalities, causing unnecessary cost and delays. The province will consult with municipalities and stakeholders by fall 2025 on framework legislation for greater harmonization and clarified governance of municipal standards, which will lead to cost savings through more efficient design and technical review, greater construction efficiencies and streamlined procurement processes.

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“We are pulling out all the stops to protect and build up Ontario during this time of economic uncertainty,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Our expanded investments will ensure we can build even more homes, create more jobs and protect the most critical infrastructure that people depend on every day.”

Through HEWSF, the province has already allocated nearly $1.3 billion for water and waste-water infrastructure projects that will enable the construction of approximately 600,000 homes. Ontario has also invested approximately $700 million in MHIP. Combined with the new $400 million ($315 million for HEWSF and $85 million for MHIP) this brings the new total investment to nearly $2.3 billion.

“I applaud Premier Ford, Minister Flack, and the Government of Ontario for taking bold and creative action to address the housing crisis,” said Steven Del Duca, Mayor for the City of Vaughan. “The status quo simply isn’t working, and families across Ontario — including mine — deserve to see real change. I want my kids to have the opportunity to own a home in the city where they grew up. In Vaughan, we’re doing our part by reducing development charges by 50 per cent and using every tool available to get more homes built, faster. I welcome the province’s leadership in cutting red tape, standardizing approvals, and building a more efficient, affordable future for all Ontarians.”

Through the Building Faster Fund, the government has also provided municipalities with $286.8 million for community and housing-enabling infrastructure last year, along with $120 million dedicated for small, rural and Northern municipalities without housing targets which is being delivered through the HEWSF and MHIP. This is in addition to the $1 billion in flexible loans for housing-enabling water infrastructure projects available to municipalities through the Infrastructure Ontario Loan Program.

“I’m grateful for the province’s leadership in introducing these much-needed measures to address the housing crisis,” said Carolyn Parrish, Mayor for the City of Mississauga. “Municipalities cannot tackle this challenge alone -- we need support like this to cut red tape, streamline approvals, and create the conditions for faster, more affordable housing development. Mississauga’s Housing Task Force has demonstrated that bold reforms and innovative policies can drive real progress, and these provincial measures will encourage cities across Ontario to accelerate their own housing initiatives. This kind of collaboration across all levels of government is critical to meeting the urgent housing needs of our residents and building a more sustainable future for residents all over Ontario.”

Quick Facts

• The Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 and other proposed measures consist of 20 initiatives that would accelerate provincial permitting and approvals.

• The proposals work together with measures proposed in Bill 2, the Protect Ontario through Free Trade within Canada Act, 2025 and Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing Our Economy Act, 2025, as part of the government’s plan to protect Ontario by strengthening internal trade relationships, supporting faster provincial development and supporting buying local.

• Ontario is currently investing nearly $1.3 billion through first and second intakes of HEWSF to support 77 water infrastructure projects that will help municipalities build approximately 600,000 new homes across the province. HEWSF helps municipalities build, repair, rehabilitate and expand critical drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure.

• Ontario is investing $175 million through the MHIP Health and Safety Water Stream to help municipalities and First Nations build, repair and expand the capacity of aging water, flood and erosion infrastructure.

• The province is also currently investing $400 million through the MHIP Housing-Enabling Core Servicing Stream to support the construction of up to 160,000 new homes and ensure these growing communities are connected to reliable roadways. MHIP provides funding for core infrastructure projects that support growing and developing communities.

  
  

Quotes

"Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making historic investments in public transit to tackle gridlock, connect communities and keep Ontarians on the job as we continue to grapple with President Trump’s unjustified trade war. Now more than ever, we must remove barriers to building transit and take bold, decisive action that supports our growing population and protects Ontario’s jobs."

- Prabmeet Sarkaria

Minister of Transportation

"In the face of global uncertainty, Ontario is embracing the opportunity to grow the economy and create stronger, more vibrant communities. Our government is doubling down on our efforts to get more homes built through key investments to support the construction of housing-enabling infrastructure, while empowering municipalities across the province to build faster and smarter for the wellbeing of people today, and for future generations."

- Peter Bethlenfalvy

Minister of Finance

"As a former mayor and past President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, I understand the day-to-day challenges municipalities face in getting shovels in the ground. This legislation reflects what we’ve heard from local leaders. It removes red tape, respects taxpayer dollars, and gets homes and infrastructure built faster where people need them most. This is just another tool our government is providing to help communities grow stronger and more resilient for future generations."

- Graydon Smith

Associate Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing

"AMO is firmly behind the province’s commitment to streamlining approvals and enhancing transparency to get more homes built faster in Ontario. Minister Flack’s approach highlights what we can achieve when the province, municipalities and the development sector all work together towards a shared goal. We look forward to finding new and innovative ways of funding the infrastructure that communities need to support growth and the economy, and maintain the quality of life that remains Ontario’s key competitive advantage."

- Robin Jones

President of Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), Mayor of Westport

"Our members are fully committed to building more homes faster and to working with all levels of government to make that happen. Our communities need more than just housing; they need parks, schools, community centres, safe roads, and other essential services that make neighbourhoods complete. We look forward to working closely with the provincial government on enabling regulations for this legislation to accelerate housing development and deliver the vital services our residents rely on and deserve."

- Marianne Meed Ward

Chair of Ontario's Big City Mayors (OBCM), Mayor of Burlington

"The current housing crisis demands a swift, decisive, and coordinated response from all levels of government. While the legislation introduced today marks a significant step forward in reducing red tape and speeding up construction, it’s clear that we are still facing an urgent crisis that requires immediate action. Our industry, municipalities, and the federal government must work with the provincial government to implement these measures effectively and swiftly. Only through a crisis-led approach—prioritizing housing needs and removing unnecessary barriers—can we truly accelerate home building, address the housing shortage, and ensure that Ontarians have access to safe, affordable homes."

- Scott Andison

CEO, Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA)

"In this period of economic and tariff uncertainty, prioritizing housing is both a strategic imperative and a socio-economic win-win. It provides much-needed homes in a region facing a housing deficit and affordability challenges, while also protecting Canadian jobs and stimulating the economy. BILD and the entire industry applaud the provincial government for delivering concrete, meaningful changes through the Protecting Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025—measures that will accelerate homebuilding in the GTA, help new home buyers, and strengthen Ontario’s domestic industry and workforce."

- David Wilkes

President & CEO, Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD)

"RESCON has been advocating for significant regulatory changes that will facilitate the construction of more homes in an expedited manner, and which will assist in reducing costs for homebuyers and homebuilders. Under the leadership of Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack, we welcome the major changes to processes and regulations that will go a long way towards addressing these challenges. We commend Minister Flack and the government for these important steps."

- Richard Lyall

President, Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON)

"We thank Premier Ford, Minister Flack, and Minister Sarkaria for introducing legislation that, if passed, will launch formal consultations on harmonizing construction and design specifications across Ontario municipalities. For far too long, fragmented and inconsistent standards have created unnecessary duplication, inefficiencies, and increased costs for industry and government alike. This long-overdue step toward harmonization will bring greater consistency, reduce barriers to market access, and allow us to deliver critical infrastructure faster and more affordably. By working together to modernize the way we build roads, we can ensure better value for taxpayers and stronger outcomes for Ontario communities."

- Walid Abou-Hamde

CEO, Ontario Road Builders' Association (ORBA)

"The suite of reforms proposed in today’s announcement will not only help to re-ignite our housing market, but will also help to unlock tens of thousands of good paying jobs that are the very backbone of our economy and provide a permanent foundation for the middle class to succeed."

- Jack Oliveira

Business Manager, Labourers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 183