With both provincial and federal elections taking place in the past four months, citizens have made it clear at the polls that, next to Trump’s tariffs, housing remains a key priority.
When I took office last summer, it was clear that like the rest of the country, Mississauga faced a housing crisis. The story was all too familiar: young people delaying futures, families struggling to afford a home, and seniors unable to downsize. New home sales in the GTA had hit record-breaking lows, with 2024 marking the worst year for the region since 1990, stalling development and leaving many priced out of the market.
To break this cycle, I launched the Mayor’s Housing Task Force just two weeks into my term, bringing together over 30 experts from the development sector, non-profits, and city planning. The goal was straightforward: foster open, honest conversations between city planners, who approve housing projects, and developers, who build them, to identify the roadblocks and determine what needed to change.
Our Partners in Building report, released in January, provided a roadmap to overcome barriers, accelerate housing development, and inform key housing policy changes. The recommendations – 30 in total – focused on reducing costs, cutting red tape, and fostering collaboration between builders and city officials.
Fast forward 100 days since implementing our new housing strategy, and the early results show that innovative solutions and bold policy reforms can bring much-needed change. On April 29th, the Mayor’s Housing Task Force celebrated 100 days of action at our annual meeting, where we were joined by Ontario’s newly appointed Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister, Rob Flack, who praised Mississauga’s bold leadership in accelerating housing delivery and addressing the crisis head-on.
Since implementing key recommendations, Mississauga has become a model for innovative housing reform for cities around the country. Right now, more than 11,637 new homes are moving forward in Mississauga, and more on the way, with developers actively applying for building permits. In 2024, we had around 2,557 issued for the whole year. This surge in building applications comes less than 4 months after historic housing motions were passed unanimously by council.
Development Charges (DCs) have long been a barrier to affordable housing, but thanks to our new policy changes, these costs have been significantly reduced. For residential projects, fees are now cut in half, and they’re completely eliminated for three-bedroom family units if construction starts by November 2026. On top of that, Peel Region passed property tax reductions for rental developments of 35% for 35 years.
These measures didn’t happen in isolation. We’ve worked closely with developers to identify what would genuinely encourage them to build in these difficult times. While there’s always uncertainty about how policy shifts will translate on the ground, the results so far are promising. Builders are not only engaging more actively with the city but are also putting shovels in the ground.
Our drastic reductions in Development Charges wouldn’t have been possible without support from the federal government, which provided funding through the Housing Accelerator Fund to help offset the revenue lost from these policy changes. Continued collaboration and backing from both federal and provincial governments remain essential as we tackle the housing crisis together.
It won’t be solved overnight. Mississauga’s progress over the past 100 days proves that bold, targeted action can make a difference. As we move forward, collaboration will remain key – between all levels of government and the housing industry.
The groundwork has been laid.
Now, it’s about maintaining this momentum to ensure all our residents have a better chance of owning a home one day.
