From permits to keys: a Conservative case for getting more homes built

2026-10-18 · Federal Conservatives · Housing · Opinion / analysis

Make building the goal

A housing policy should ultimately be judged by something straightforward: can more Canadians find a home that fits their needs and budget? The latest construction figures give Conservatives an opportunity to make a positive, practical argument. Lowering barriers matters most when it helps a real project become a finished home, not just another approval or announcement.

Responding to CMHC’s September figures, Conservative housing critic Scott Aitchison reiterated the party’s proposals to eliminate GST on all new homes under $1.3 million, halve development charges and remove needless red tape. Those are party commitments, not proof that new rules are already operating. The constructive question is how each measure would help builders move from permission to construction and eventual occupancy.

Read the whole construction picture

CMHC’s October 16 release reports 19,984 actual housing starts in September in centres with at least 10,000 residents, down 11 per cent from September 2025. For January through September, starts in those centres totalled 170,964, down four per cent from the same period last year. These figures support concern about the construction pipeline, but they are not counts of completed homes across every Canadian community.

There is encouraging information too. The seasonally adjusted annual rate for all areas rose three per cent from August to 248,896. The six-month trend was virtually flat, while Vancouver’s trend increased six per cent. A year-over-year decline and a month-over-month improvement can both be true. They measure different comparisons; neither should be hidden because it complicates a political message.

An approval is not yet a home

The release also records 143,929 units with approved building permits awaiting a housing start in centres with at least 50,000 residents. That is a useful place to focus questions. It is not evidence that every project is stalled by government, nor that all those units could begin tomorrow. It identifies a stage of the pipeline where permission has not yet become observed construction.

CMHC’s methodology explainer says a structure counts as started when concrete has been poured and the foundation completed. Large projects can reflect decisions made one or two years earlier, with financing, labour, materials, approvals and permits affecting timing. That cautions against assigning an entire month’s results to one politician. It also strengthens the case for following projects through successive stages rather than celebrating paperwork alone.

Turn the Conservative proposal into a delivery test

The positive Conservative proposition is that homebuilding should face fewer unnecessary costs and delays. To make that case persuasive, ask for a clear implementation sequence: which tax changes need legislation, which charges require agreements with other governments, and when a builder or purchaser would actually qualify. A promised saving should be traceable to the household or project meant to benefit.

Existing assistance belongs in the comparison. CRA says applications are already open for the first-time home buyers’ GST/HST rebate, providing eligible buyers a full or partial rebate on qualifying new or substantially renovated homes. Conservatives’ broader proposal should therefore be assessed against existing rules, not against an imaginary baseline of no relief. Buyers should check CRA eligibility rather than budget around an unimplemented party promise.

Development-charge reductions also deserve an infrastructure plan. Voters can support lower building costs while asking how roads, water and other necessary services would be financed. Our suggested test is straightforward: show the replacement funding, disclose who bears remaining costs and explain how the change helps projects proceed. These are editorial recommendations, not details established by the short party statement.

Ask for a local progress report

A useful housing scorecard would distinguish approvals, starts, units under construction and completions, with consistent geography and reporting periods. It should also identify the mix of homes being built. Families searching for a rental, a smaller accessible home or a first purchase need different options. A rising aggregate count is valuable, but it does not answer every local affordability question.

Choose one proposed development or neighbourhood and ask representatives what prevents the next step. Is financing unresolved? Is servicing incomplete? Is an approval still outstanding? Specific answers make it easier to compare solutions and assign responsibility fairly. Use the same questions for Conservative proposals and government programs. Consistent scrutiny makes a positive policy case stronger, not weaker.

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