Builders association highlights Ontario housing shortage during the election

Greater Sudbury is the most recent community featured in videos from a campaign by the Ontario Home Builders Association (OHBA).

The group represents those in the building, land development and professional renovation industry who are part of 27 builders associations across the province.

They want to ensure the housing crisis and the need for more affordable housing are up for discussion during the provincial election campaign.

President Bob Schickedanz has been travelling around Ontario hearing stories of frustrated, and angry potential home buyers. The visit to Sudbury at the end of April is featured in the campaign's latest video, released on Thursday.

"The housing crisis persists and people that have good well-paying jobs, that are working in communities in Sudbury can't afford or find a house in Sudbury," Schickedanz said.

"Quite frankly I was shocked when I heard that people are looking as far away as communities like Espanola to find a place that they can call home."

Schickedanze said the stories are similar "in every corner of the province".

"This is not sustainable."

He said hearing about bidding wars between 10 and 15 potential buyers for one home is a demonstration not enough housing is available.

There is a housing shortage, and the association wants the next provincial government to help address that. Schickedeanz said the problem will only get worse if it's not addressed.

"With the pending growth that we're anticipating, we need to in the next 10 years to build a million homes, just to keep up with the growing population demand," he said.

"In fact, the provincially released Housing Affordability Task Force speaks to the needs of a million-and a half homes in the next 10 years. That's a tremendous amount of housing, including the Sudbury area."

The association's campaign wants voters to ask local candidates how they'd address the housing crisis.

"We say build your next home with your ballot," Schickedanz said.

"With amplifying everybody's voice that;s the first step towards solving the problem."

When the new provincial government is elected and begins its work, Schickedanz wants to see a streamlined approval process for new builds, investments in infrastructure and measures to increase the number of youth pursuing skilled trades.

"I think we really need to focus on communication, cooperation, and collaboration between our associations, between all levels of government, whether it be federal, whether it be provincial, whether it be municipal," said Derek Cashmore, president of the Sudbury District Home Builders Association.

"I think it's time to stop making excuses and start making improvements," he said. "That we cut the red tape, we cut the bureaucracy, we cut the delays, we just cut the excuses."