Slashing Development Fees Is Not a Cure-All for Housing Affordability: CMHC

Slashing Development Fees Is Not a Cure-All for Housing Affordability: CMHC
Carpenters build new homes in Ottawa on June 1, 2026. The Canadian Press/Sean Kilpatrick
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Slashing municipal development charges could help spur building in some of Canada’s most expensive markets but those cuts wouldn’t be enough to fix the affordability gap on their own, according to a new analysis from the federal housing agency.

Development charges are fees cities impose on developers that are mainly used to pay for infrastructure that supports new builds.