TORONTO, October 1, 2026 – A new housing report released by the Toronto Region Board of Trade on October 1 says Ontario could fall more than 550,000 homes short of its target of building 1.5 million homes by 2029 if current construction trends continue. The report recommends that the provincial government standardize some zoning and building rules to reduce approval differences between municipalities.
The report says Ontario municipalities currently apply different zoning rules and approval requirements. When developers try to move similar projects forward in multiple cities, they often need to redesign plans and adjust applications, increasing project costs and approval timelines while making it harder to replicate housing projects at scale.
The Toronto Region Board of Trade is calling on the province to create a more standardized zoning framework, allowing housing types such as townhouses and multi-unit homes to be built under more consistent rules in more areas. It also recommends further changes to the Ontario Building Code to reduce construction costs for some residential projects while still meeting safety and accessibility requirements.
One recommendation in the report is to allow some residential buildings of up to six storeys to use a single-stair design. The board says that, if fire and safety standards are met, this type of change could give small apartment buildings and mid-density housing projects more design flexibility.
The report also compares differing planning rules between municipalities to interprovincial trade barriers. It says that standardizing some rules could make it easier for developers to use similar designs and construction plans in different areas, allowing projects to be expanded more efficiently.
Housing supply shortages are also directly tied to affordability in the Greater Toronto Area. In recent years, Toronto and nearby municipalities have continued to advance condominium development, while townhouses, multi-unit homes and family-friendly housing remain key areas of market interest.
The Toronto Region Board of Trade says zoning and building code reform is only one part of increasing housing supply. Land prices, financing costs, development charges, infrastructure conditions and market demand also affect whether residential projects can move ahead.
For now, these proposals remain policy recommendations from the board to the provincial government. Whether they will be implemented will require further review by the province and relevant municipalities.
（LJI by Yuanyuan）
