Power & Politics Can an Ottawa-Ontario tax break beat the housing slump?
Mar 25, 2026
Heather McPherson, MP and leadership contender focused on rebuilding the party through organizing and electability. Robert Flack, Ontario housing minister driving policies to boost construction and affordability. They unpack a temporary HST removal on new homes, debates over cost versus units, caps at $1.5M, and whether the rebate can meaningfully revive stalled housing starts.
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Buyers Should Prepare Now For One Year HST Relief
- If you can buy a new home in Ontario, gather financing and paperwork now because the HST relief runs for one year starting April 1.
- Premier Doug Ford urged buyers to 'talk to your bankers' and act within the 12-month window.
Rebate As Certainty Tool To Unpause Construction
- Flack identifies three persistent barriers: slow build timelines, high costs, and HST adding to construction expenses, amplified post-COVID by rising materials and interest rates.
- He frames the rebate as creating certainty to remove a buyer/developer 'thumb on the pause button' and reduce monthly mortgage burden by $600–$650 for a $130,000 saving.
Focus On Near Term Starts Over Long Term Target
- Flack won't prioritize the 1.5 million homes by 2032 pledge daily; he focuses on near-term starts and getting above 2022 production levels instead.
- The program allows buyers to order homes this year (start dates count), aiming to kickstart the construction season immediately.