This week, as part of its Political Action Committee (PAC) Days, the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA) is hosting realtors from across Canada to meet with their local Members of Parliament to advocate for critical housing policies encouraging access to housing for all Canadians.

CREA notes that as realtors are experts on market conditions and consumer interests, they’re well-positioned to contribute to discussions around housing policy.

Much work still to be done

Though CREA has been working to encourage federal initiatives that address the ongoing housing supply crisis, the organization notes there’s still much work to be done with all levels of government and key stakeholders.

“It’s essential we strive together to advance effective policies that foster increased housing supply while ensuring affordability and accessibility for Canadians across the entire housing continuum,” says Janice Myers, CREA CEO.

This year’s housing policy & solution ideas

With housing demand increasing along with the country’s population, yet inventory and new construction not keeping pace, realtors are advocating for innovative solutions and policies to increase housing supply, such as emergency shelter and community housing, rental accommodation, homeownership and more.

This year, specific ideas include:

• Stimulating supply across the housing continuum by embracing innovation through offsite construction technologies
• Establishing a permanent mechanism to collaborate and coordinate housing policy and development, such as a national housing secretariat
• Extending HST/GST relief for non-profit-built affordable ownership housing

As Canadians from coast-to-coast struggle to find a place to call home, REALTORS® continue to play an important role in helping address the country’s housing crisis.

For nearly four decades, REALTORS® have been advocating the federal government on behalf of Canadian homeowners, buyers, sellers and renters. REALTORS® have fought to make finding a home easier for Canadians by pushing for an increase in social housing, subsidized housing options and emergency shelters, to name a few initiatives.

A cornerstone of these advocacy efforts is the Canadian Real Estate Association (CREA)’s Political Action Committee (PAC) Days. Each year, REALTORS® from across the country converge on the nation’s capital to meet with Members of Parliament (MPs) and propose innovative housing solutions that would benefit the entire housing continuum and get more housing supply built across this country.

This year was no different.

From October 15 to 17, over 420 PAC reps made their presence known on Parliament Hill through more than 140 meetings with their local MPs. This year’s PAC Days programming also included:

• panels from MPs, journalists and political insiders,
• the latest information from pollsters,
• lively discussions on housing, innovation and sustainability and
• presentations from Sean Fraser, Canada’s minister of housing, and Pierre Poilievre, the official leader of the opposition.

CREA believes addressing the housing crisis should be a top priority for all political parties. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) estimates that 5.8 million new homes need to be built across the housing continuum to bring affordability into balance. But, at the current rate of construction, Canada will be short 3.5 million homes by 2030. CREA is committed to ensuring all Canadians have access to housing and will remain focused on championing innovative and practical solutions.

REALTOR® recommendations

During CREA PAC Days 2023, PAC reps brought forth three recommendations to the federal government.

Recommendation 1: Permanent national housing roundtable

The first recommendation is the establishment of a permanent national housing roundtable. This roundtable would bring together federal, provincial/territorial and municipal authorities, along with builders, real estate professionals, Indigenous partners and civil society organizations.

Its purpose is to foster an inclusive, holistic approach to addressing the housing crisis through collaboration, innovation and policy coordination.

Canada’s housing crisis is a national priority that impacts not only individuals and families but also the overall economy and social fabric of the country.

Recommendation 2: Housing supply and infrastructure

International research indicates good infrastructure is integral to thriving, inclusive communities and can be leveraged to address the housing shortage. The second recommendation entails that any new federal infrastructure funding for municipalities, provinces and territories must include conditions requiring the creation of new housing indexed to population growth.

Recommendation 3: Immigration and housing

In the face of labour shortages in the construction industry, the third recommendation calls for the development of a housing workforce immigration strategy. This strategy aims to attract skilled tradespeople from abroad while streamlining the immigration process for qualified professionals willing to work in the construction sector.

Recognizing the importance of these policies, in partnership with the British Columbia Real Estate Association (BCREA) and the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), CREA recently commissioned new research that highlights how immigration can be used to address labour shortages in Canada’s construction sector. The Conference Board of Canada’s lead researcher presented her findings during PAC Days.

In the aftermath of CREA PAC Days, Immigration Minister Marc Miller announced an updated immigration system, which included the need to attract more skilled construction workers from overseas to help build more housing across this country.

The 2023 Fall Economic Statement, tabled by Deputy Prime Minister Chrystia Freeland, underscored the government’s commitment to housing, aligning with many of CREA’s recommendations. For example, tying funding for infrastructure projects to building more homes and prioritizing permanent residency for construction workers from abroad with skills that can help build more homes faster. The statement also included a new Canadian Mortgage Charter which includes a long-held REALTOR® position advocating against the requirement for insured mortgage holders to requalify under the insured minimum qualifying rate when switching lenders at mortgage renewal.

As part of one of Canada’s largest single-industry organizations, the unified, collective voice of more than 160,000 REALTORS® is strong and impactful. Learn more about how CREA advocates for a legislative and regulatory environment that enables REALTORS® to better serve Canadian homeowners, aspiring homeowners, renters and communities across Canada at CREA.ca/advocacy.

Image: Members of the REALTORS® Association of Hamilton-Burlington meet with The Honourable Karina Gould, Member of Parliament of Burlington, during CREA PAC Days 2023.