The province has also increased its investment in water systems and housing infrastructure funds
The Ontario government has tabled the Protect Ontario by Building Faster and Smarter Act, 2025 to accelerate home and infrastructure building in the province.
The legislation will streamline development processes and cut costs in collaboration with municipalities. Alongside related actions, the law will:
Ontario will also engage with municipalities and stakeholders on framework legislation to align and clarify municipal standards governance, saving costs further through efficient design and technical review, construction, and streamlined procurement processes.
“We are taking bold action to protect Ontario in the face of economic uncertainty by speeding up construction so we can lower housing costs and keep workers on the job. The legislation we’re tabling today responds to recommendations and requests from municipal leaders, and will help build the homes and infrastructure Ontario needs,” said Rob Flack, minister of municipal affairs and housing, in a May 12 statement.
The Ontario government has also added $400 million in immediate funding to the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund and Municipal Housing Infrastructure Fund – a total of nearly $2.3 billion over four years across both funds. To date, the province has allocated almost $1.3 billion for water and waste-water infrastructure projects facilitating the construction of approximately 600,000 homes through HEWSF.
“We are pulling out all the stops to protect and build up Ontario during this time of economic uncertainty. Our expanded investments will ensure we can build even more homes, create more jobs and protect the most critical infrastructure that people depend on every day,” said Kinga Surma, minister of infrastructure.
The Ontario government also invested $286.8 million into the Building Faster Fund to facilitate community and housing-enabling infrastructure construction in municipalities last year. The government earmarked $120 million for small, rural and Northern municipalities without housing targets via HEWSF and MHIP. These investments are on top of the $1 billion in flexible loans for housing-enabling water infrastructure projects municipalities can avail of through the Infrastructure Ontario Loan Program.
“The status quo simply isn’t working, and families across Ontario — including mine — deserve to see real change. I want my kids to have the opportunity to own a home in the city where they grew up. In Vaughan, we’re doing our part by reducing development charges by 50 per cent and using every tool available to get more homes built, faster. I welcome the province’s leadership in cutting red tape, standardizing approvals, and building a more efficient, affordable future for all Ontarians,” Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca said.
Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish added that the measures were necessary to address the housing crisis.
“Mississauga’s Housing Task Force has demonstrated that bold reforms and innovative policies can drive real progress, and these provincial measures will encourage cities across Ontario to accelerate their own housing initiatives. This kind of collaboration across all levels of government is critical to meeting the urgent housing needs of our residents and building a more sustainable future for residents all over Ontario,” Parrish said.
