Canada Fee Cuts Could Unlock Supply | Discover Your Dream Home with us! Looking for the perfect place to call home? Call us for the best listings!

Development fees are a big factor in shaping what gets built in Canadian cities, and a recent national housing agency report highlights just how much they influence new-home supply. For example, lowering these fees could make about 14% more residential projects viable—a significant boost, especially in tight markets. In Toronto and Vancouver, removing development charges altogether could increase viable projects by around 10%, with Toronto potentially achieving half of its stated supply goals through this change alone. Looking closer to home in Calgary, development fees range from approximately $4,000 for a one-bedroom high-rise to about $9,000 for a detached house—far less than Vancouver’s $20,000 to $33,000 range for similar properties. Of course, development fees help fund essential infrastructure like roads and sewers, so experts aren’t recommending that they be eliminated completely. But, as a Calgary-based Realtor®, I see how targeted fee reductions—especially on family-sized homes—could help new builds compete with resale properties and give families more options in our market. Every policy adjustment like this has ripple effects for buyers, sellers, and investors alike.