It was a privilege to meet with representatives from the Ontario Home Builders' Association (OHBA)! OHBA is composed of 4,000 companies divided into 27 local associations throughout the province, seeking to represent the needs of the residential construction industry.
It was fascinating to learn more about the sector, and delve deeper into Ontario’s changing housing market. We were happy to hear more about OHBA’s solutions-oriented approach to housing issues, motivated by their goal of working alongside “Housing Champions” to make housing more affordable for everyday Ontarians.
We particularly enjoyed hearing more about OHBA’s “Baby Needs a New Home” report which projects the number of homes required to meet the needs of Ontario's growing population. Produced with the Smart Prosperity Institute, the report found that in order to meet the current supply gap of homes and the projected increases in immigration, an additional one million homes of all types will need to be built in the next ten years.
OHBA spoke to the importance of planning for a sufficient supply of family-friendly and climate-friendly housing, with a community-led approach that balances employment and family needs, in order to foster more robust and cleaner economies.
We would like to thank the OHBA for sharing these valuable insights with us. We left more energized and hopeful about the future of housing in the province!