July 29, 2025 – Canada is not building homes quickly enough to meet rising needs, and red tape combined with low productivity is intensifying pressure on the sector. A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute explores how innovative construction technologies could help accelerate delivery and improve efficiency – if supported by the right policy conditions. In “Building Smarter, Faster: Technology […]
Many countries are leveraging prefabrication technologies – such as modular construction, mass timber, panelized systems, and on-site 3D printing – to accelerate homebuilding, increase productivity in the face of tight labour markets, and improve sustainability.
Published in Financial Post By Tasnim Fariha Canada’s housing supply gap is widening, not narrowing. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which first sounded the alarm in 2022, has now quietly moved away from its original 2030 target for restoring housing affordability. In its most recent update, the agency presents projections on a rolling 10-year […]
The unprecedented surge in population growth following the pandemic exacerbated Canada’s housing shortage. However, recent changes to the federal government’s immigration policy are beginning to reverse this trend. In the past two quarters, the housing stock per 1,000 persons has risen as a result of slower population growth. To continue closing the housing gap, more supply-side […]
Despite strong consumer preferences for ground-related housing such as single-family homes, semi-detached units, and townhomes, housing starts in Canada show a clear shift toward apartments and higher-density options. This supply-side response is driven by economic constraints and land-use pressures, forcing more space-efficient forms of development. For more on alleviating these pressures, see this C.D. Howe Institute conference […]
To: Housing affordability observersFrom: Peter WeltmanDate: May 21, 2025Re: Unpacking Ontario’s Ambitious New Housing Acceleration Bill On May 12, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 17, the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025. It has a long title and proposes a suite of changes to multiple statutes with the stated goal of removing unnecessary barriers […]
Balancing Canada’s Population Growth and Ageing Through Immigration Policy Canada faces twin demographic pressures: an ageing population and rapid population growth driven by immigration. The report argues that immigration levels must strike a careful balance – sufficient to offset some effects of low fertility and an ageing workforce, but not so high as to outpace […]
Solving Canada’s multiple housing crises requires thinking big – about smaller cities. Vancouver School of Economics professor Paul Beaudry and C.D. Howe Institute Vice President of Economic Analysis Jeremy Kronick discuss why focusing on growing our smaller urban centres into larger cities will help ease the pain nationwide.
Solving Canada’s multiple housing crises requires thinking big – about smaller cities. Vancouver School of Economics professor Paul Beaudry and C.D. Howe Institute Vice President of Economic Analysis Jeremy Kronick discuss why focusing on growing our smaller urban centres into larger cities will help ease the pain nationwide.
The Study in Brief Mortgage interest costs can undergo large swings during tightening and/or loosening cycles by the Bank of Canada. Although they have a weight of only around 5 percent in the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI), they can significantly affect movements in the latter as a result of these large swings. The year-over-year […]
Tackling Canada’s housing crisis requires actionable strategies, policy reforms, and innovative technologies to boost supply. This report draws together insights from leading experts in the field, including policymakers, researchers, and builders.
February 4, 2025 – Tackling Canada’s housing crisis requires actionable strategies, policy reforms, and innovative technologies to boost supply, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. A special policy conference report based on the Institute’s November 2024 conference, “Housing Policy for a Growing Canada,” draws together insights from leading experts in the field, including […]
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July 29, 2025 – Canada is not building homes quickly enough to meet rising needs, and red tape combined with low productivity is intensifying pressure on the sector. A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute explores how innovative construction technologies could help accelerate delivery and improve efficiency – if supported by the right policy conditions. In “Building Smarter, Faster: Technology […] 
Published in Financial Post By Tasnim Fariha Canada’s housing supply gap is widening, not narrowing. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), which first sounded the alarm in 2022, has now quietly moved away from its original 2030 target for restoring housing affordability. In its most recent update, the agency presents projections on a rolling 10-year […] 
The unprecedented surge in population growth following the pandemic exacerbated Canada’s housing shortage. However, recent changes to the federal government’s immigration policy are beginning to reverse this trend. In the past two quarters, the housing stock per 1,000 persons has risen as a result of slower population growth. To continue closing the housing gap, more supply-side […] 
Despite strong consumer preferences for ground-related housing such as single-family homes, semi-detached units, and townhomes, housing starts in Canada show a clear shift toward apartments and higher-density options. This supply-side response is driven by economic constraints and land-use pressures, forcing more space-efficient forms of development. For more on alleviating these pressures, see this C.D. Howe Institute conference […] 
To: Housing affordability observersFrom: Peter WeltmanDate: May 21, 2025Re: Unpacking Ontario’s Ambitious New Housing Acceleration Bill On May 12, the Government of Ontario tabled Bill 17, the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025. It has a long title and proposes a suite of changes to multiple statutes with the stated goal of removing unnecessary barriers […] 
Balancing Canada’s Population Growth and Ageing Through Immigration Policy Canada faces twin demographic pressures: an ageing population and rapid population growth driven by immigration. The report argues that immigration levels must strike a careful balance – sufficient to offset some effects of low fertility and an ageing workforce, but not so high as to outpace […] 
Solving Canada’s multiple housing crises requires thinking big – about smaller cities. Vancouver School of Economics professor Paul Beaudry and C.D. Howe Institute Vice President of Economic Analysis Jeremy Kronick discuss why focusing on growing our smaller urban centres into larger cities will help ease the pain nationwide. 
The Study in Brief Mortgage interest costs can undergo large swings during tightening and/or loosening cycles by the Bank of Canada. Although they have a weight of only around 5 percent in the Canadian Consumer Price Index (CPI), they can significantly affect movements in the latter as a result of these large swings. The year-over-year […] 
Tackling Canada’s housing crisis requires actionable strategies, policy reforms, and innovative technologies to boost supply. This report draws together insights from leading experts in the field, including policymakers, researchers, and builders.