CHBA Continues to Push Government to Implement the Delayed-in-Parliamentary-Process GST Rebate ASAP   

Following extensive follow-up with the Department of Finance and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), CRA has issued more details about the implementation of the federal government’s proposed GST/HST rebate for first-time home buyers (FTHB). Due to the government not yet passing the necessary legislation prior to Parliament’s summer recess, home buyers and builders cannot yet apply for the rebate and the CRA will not process claims for the new FTHB GST Rebate until the Bill receives Royal Assent. The slow implementation of this measure has hindered would-be sales and thus the creation of much-needed housing supply during a time of great market uncertainty. CHBA has been very actively conveying this problem to the Prime Minister, Ministers and government officials. CHBA shares members’ extreme frustrations about the delay in moving this measure forward. CHBA continues to emphasize to the federal government the problems the slow implementation of this measure has caused, stressing that, without action, buyers will continue to wait on the sidelines. As CHBA continues to push for this to be a priority with the government, updates for members on progress can be found on CHBA’s Industry Issues page, where members can also find a CHBA factsheet for eligible homeowners to encourage them to buy now.

CHBA Meets with Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson      

CHBA continues its engagement with the new government. For example, earlier this month, CHBA CEO Kevin Lee met with Minister of Housing and Infrastructure Gregor Robertson. Lee reinforced the challenges facing the industry and provided CHBA’s recommendations to get the market moving again. As Minister Robertson is getting up to speed on his files, he has been meeting with stakeholders across the country while looking to CHBA to speak holistically to the sector’s current challenges across the country, with an eye to implementing federal initiatives that are appropriate coast to coast. Throughout the summer, CHBA will continue to engage with ministers, senior staff, and public servants to ensure they have the industry’s insights and recommendations.

Q2 Housing Market Index Reflects Ongoing New Home Construction Challenges Amid Economic Uncertainty 

CHBA’s 2025 Q2 Housing Market Index (HMI), a leading indicator about the health of the residential construction industry, saw little change since last quarter, with builders remaining decidedly pessimistic about sales conditions. The Q2 single-family HMI is 24.9 (out of 100), and the multi-family HMI is 22.8 – both at near record lows. “The GST relief that was promised and would help to a degree is now instead doing the opposite and slowing sales in all regions,” said CEO Kevin Lee in CHBA’s press release. He stressed the urgency of the FTHB GST Rebate to be approved, and urged expansion to all buyers, increased thresholds, and broadening to include ADUs and secondary suites. CHBA uses HMI data to engage policymakers at all levels of government, and with the Bank of Canada. The HMI is an excellent avenue to advance builders’ issues to national policymakers and media. To get involved, please contact us. 

NEW Renovation Incentives CHBA Webpage & Homeowner Resources    

Do your clients know that the federal government offers a variety of tax credits, rebates, and loans to make renovation projects more affordable for homeowners? If your clients are upgrading for energy efficiency, accessibility, or adding a secondary suite - there are many incentives available that could be help turn their renovation dreams into reality. Check out the new Renovation Incentives and Resources page on the CHBA website.  It's packed new, easy-to-understand fact sheets for your clients. You are encouraged to download, print, and/or add these resources to your website.

CHBA’s Towards Net Zero Renovations at Retrofit Canada Conference  

From June 9-10th, CHBA’s Net Zero Housing was represented at the Retrofit Canada Conference held in Toronto. With over 650 attendees, this event has grown over the past few years to host more than double its audience of policy, program, industry, and government representatives. The well-received panel discussion “Scaling Deep Energy Retrofits: Municipal Strategies and Lessons from the DER Toolkit Initiative” heard from our “Towards Cost-Effective Net Zero Energy Ready Residential Renovations” project lead and municipal representatives from Calgary, Edmonton, and Saskatoon as well as the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Participation in this event has helped inform the project team on national and regional efforts in high-performance/low-energy upgrades to meet the demands from homeowners across Canada.

Help Create Builder Resources for Wildfire Resilience   

SURVEY LINK HERE 
The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) and the Canadian Home Builders’ Association (CHBA) are leading the Resilient Homes Task Force (RHTF) – a group of six best-practice builders and six insurance executives. The RHTF wants to develop practical solutions for protecting homes from climate risks and is currently gathering insights from industry professionals on effective strategies for wildfire. Your feedback will help to create useful checklists and resources for builders. If you are a building industry professional directly involved in the design, construction, or repair of homes or properties (builders, renovators, contractors, restoration contractors, landscape professionals, etc.), please consider completing this survey at your earliest convenience. If you have questions or would like more information about the Resilient Homes Task Force, please contact Frank Lohmann. 

BuildForce Canada’s Rapid Pulse Workforce Survey    

SURVEY LINK HERE 
Alongside sectoral and workforce development organizations, BuildForce Canada is collecting real-time insights from businesses like yours to understand the impact of the current economic climate on staffing conditions, hiring expectations, recruitment barriers, and workforce needs. BuildForce is conducting a brief survey to help guide targeted workforce investments and responsive policy actions, and to access timely, sector-specific insights to support strategic planning and decision-making. BuildForce will share results with CHBA and use the findings to engage policymakers to support targeted workforce investments and responsive policy measures. Your perspective is vital. Please complete the Workforce Pulse survey today.