The Spring 2025 issue of Ontatio Home Builders Association Magazine features an article co-authored by Onah Jung, titled “The Carrot and the Stick,” examining why Ontario’s housing incentive programs haven’t led to consistent results across municipalities.
The article focuses on two major funding initiatives introduced in 2023 after interviewing the Federal Housing Minister and various municipality mayors—the federal Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) and the provincial Building Faster Fund (BFF). These programs were designed to encourage municipalities to meet housing targets by tying performance to funding.
On paper, the incentives are straightforward. But in reality, the response has been anything but. While some municipalities have moved quickly to unlock funding and ramp up housing starts, others remain stalled—caught between community resistance, political considerations, and systemic challenges.
For those in the building and development industry, the piece offers insight into how local conditions—and not just policy—are shaping the housing landscape in Ontario.
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