The Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) recently said it is working closely with officials to amend what some are calling the government’s “anti-sprawl” plans in the hope of alleviating the current shortage in housing supply.

OREA’s CEO Tim Hudak commented on Ontario’s growth plans and said the organization is happy to see a concentration on increasing housing supply, especially the plans to develop affordable housing.

“Over the past few months, we’ve met with government bringing forth a number of ideas to ensure the dream of homeownership stays within reach for Ontarians,” Hudak said in a press release. “We’re pleased to see there’s a focus on increasing housing supply and more choice on types of housing.”

Hudak said Realtors in the Ontario see the current government planning as a “one-size-fits-all approach,” which puts limits on consumer’s housing choices. He said local municipalities should be the ones to examine local market demand.  This would allow the municipalities who have space, to be able to fill it with “missing middle housing types” according to Hudak.

“Municipalities that have the space will now be able to accommodate ‘missing middle’ housing types like townhomes, stacked flats or mid-size buildings, creating more affordable choices for first-time buyers,” Hudak said. “Now that the plan is in place, it’s important now more than ever for the province to work with developers to get building more homes for Ontario families."