TRREB Welcomes Federal Budget Measures to Boost Housing Supply and Affordability

TORONTO, Nov. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board (TRREB) applauds the 2026 Federal Budget for tackling key housing priorities: easing construction barriers, expanding financing options and improving affordability for Canadians.

Advancing Missing-Middle Housing

New mortgage insurance rules, effective February 1, 2027, will expand financing for missing-middle housing:

• New triplexes and fourplexes: Eligible builders and investors can access insured financing of up to 90 per cent of the property’s value, with no property-value cap or owner-occupancy requirement.
• Five-to-50-unit buildings: Private insurers will be permitted to offer mortgage insurance, expanding financing options for smaller rental developments.
• Longer amortizations: Eligible newly constructed five-to-50-unit rental properties may qualify for amortizations of up to 50 years.
  

These changes could improve project viability and expand housing choice in established neighbourhoods.

Rebalancing the Foreign Buyer Ban

TRREB supports exempting newly constructed homes from the foreign buyer ban while extending the restrictions on foreign purchases of existing homes until January 1, 2029. This reflects TRREB’s call to prioritize Canadian residents’ access to existing housing while encouraging investment in new supply, including missing-middle and condominium developments.

Other Key Housing Measures

1. Faster Housing Approvals
   The budget commits $100 million over three years to help municipalities adopt electronic permitting and artificial intelligence to streamline approvals, a key TRREB recommendation.
   
   
2. Buyer Mortgage Financing and Mortgage Shopping
   The budget proposes increasing the home-price cap for optional mortgage default insurance on conventional loans from $1 million to $1.5 million. Lenders can obtain this insurance on mortgages where buyers generally put at least 20 per cent down. The proposal would also permit 30-year amortizations if at least one borrower is a first-time buyer or the home is newly built.
   
   Other proposals include publishing more insured mortgage-rate information through the Bank of Canada, piloting a CRA income-verification service for lenders and insurers, and consulting on disclosure of prepayment penalties on insured mortgages.
   
   
3. Modern Construction and Lower Costs
   The budget proposes $300 million over three years starting in 2028–29, plus $200 million in future years, to expand factory-built housing and other modern construction methods. A further $67.7 million over four years would support housing data and standardized construction practices, alongside more frequent updates to national model codes.
   
   These measures aim to improve productivity, lower construction costs and accelerate homebuilding.
   
   
4. Affordable and Supportive Housing
   The budget proposes an additional $13 billion over ten years for Build Canada Homes, bringing the program’s total capitalization to $45 billion. The goal is to support 200,000 new homes over the next decade and increase non-market housing construction.
   
   An additional $1.5 billion over four years would fund roads, water and wastewater infrastructure on federal housing sites.
   
   TRREB supports the focus on the full housing continuum, including the government’s plan to end homelessness within ten years.
   
   While more work remains, the 2026 Federal Budget marks meaningful progress on REALTOR® advocacy priorities. TRREB will continue working with CREA and government partners to advance housing supply, affordability and more attainable homeownership for Canadians.
   

Daniel Steinfeld
TRREB President

Media Inquiries: 
For all media inquiries, please email media@trreb.ca

About TRREB:
The Toronto Regional Real Estate Board is Canada’s largest real estate board, with almost 70,000 residential and commercial professionals connecting people, property, and communities.