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Pascale Harvey

Director, Risk Management, Strategy and Products, Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)1 communications in the past year

Lobbied by

Canadian Home Builders' Association

1

To ask federal government to continue to apply pressure to provinces and municipalities to reduce development taxes and work with provinces and municipalities to mandate that alternatives to development taxes be found and used instead. The role of Build Canada Homes and the impact upon housing needs in Canada and to ensure that market-rate housing policies are still pursued by the government in addition to the mandate of Build Canada Homes. Implement CMHC Construction Financing, including low-interest financing for market-rate housing for ownership from the government, plus a new construction loan insurance program. Discuss implications for the Canadian home construction sector surrounding proposed 25% tariffs from the United States. Work with provinces to have the EnerGuide Rating System (ERS) label on all houses at the time of resale and expand ERS (and its software tools updated) and be promoted so that ERS becomes the backbone of all renovation incentives. Working with the home construction industry to support innovation and capital investment to increase industry productivity both for in-site built approaches and factory-built solutions. Update the federal immigration system to proactively attract much-needed skilled workers in residential construction. Update and index the thresholds for the GST New Housing Rebate. Support voluntary programming initiatives like ENERGY STAR, R?2000 and CHBA’s Net Zero Home Labelling Program enable homeowners to choose higher levels of performance on a voluntary basis, moving the market forward without damaging affordability in entry?level homes. Support Transit-Oriented Development, Complete Communities and the “Missing Middle” of Housing - To ensure that Canadians get maximum benefit from federal infrastructure investments, the Government needs to support increased supply in the “missing middle” – whether “gentle intensification” via secondary suites, conversion of larger units or medium-density low-rise mixed-income housing, in walkable communities with ready access to public transit. Support local and provincial submissions to the Red Tape Reduction Commission to address issues associated with the Contract Payment Reporting System operated by the Canada Revenue Agency Support for housing research, analysis and demonstration projects on topics of priority interest to the residential construction industry, e.g., on housing market trends Seek Federal research on improved environmental guidelines for residential communities to determine more specifically their cost and technological implications for practitioners in the residential cosntruction and development industries Rigorously enforce provisions of the Income Tax Act and Excise Tax Act in relation to combating the underground "cash economy". Revise the tax regime to avoid GST being applied to new “purposebuilt” rental developments. This increases rents for tenants and renders the business model for investing in purpose-built rentals less attractive, hence discouraging the construction of affordable rental properties. Revise tax rules for accessory suites, such as granny flats and laneway housing, as the current tax system, which incorporates land value rather than just construction costs, and is discouraging this important form of infill housing that is favoured by more and more municipalities. These innovative infill projects increase the number of affordable homes in established neighbourhoods. Replacement of the Contract Payment Reporting System with an alternative that requires all participants in the construction industry to register for a Business Number with the CRA, and that pursues those engaging in cash-only transactions much more aggressively Reintroduce 30-year amortization periods for insured residential mortgages for new construction. Promote a federal YIMBY (yes in my backyard) campaign. New developments (especially densification and mixed income housing) are often met with local public opposition even when aligned with

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