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Housing experts, opposition, urge Ford government to waive its portion of the HST

When asked about the decision by QP Briefing on Aug. 14, the premier suggested the government couldn’t afford the move.

Published Sep 23, 2025 at 3:32pm

Barbara Patrocinio
By
Barbara Patrocinio
Housing experts, opposition, urge Ford government to waive its portion of the HST

Ontario Premier Doug Ford attends an availability at Chapman's Ice Cream in Markdale, Ont., on Friday, September 19, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

A new report commissioned by the Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) is painting a grim picture of Ontario’s housing future, revealing construction starts across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have plummeted, and the worst may be yet to come.

The Q2 2025 Housing Report Card, published by the University of Ottawa’s Missing Middle Initiative and commissioned by RESCON found that housing starts across 34 municipalities have dropped by a staggering 40 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the previous four-year average.

The drop is especially sharp for condo apartments, which saw a 54 per cent decline, while purpose-built rentals were one of the few bright spots, up by just eight per cent.

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