WRHBA supports the ongoing review of the Ontario Building Code. The Code plays an important role in protecting public health and safety while at the same time, has a direct impact on the cost of building new homes and the time required to deliver them.
Ontario continues to face a significant housing affordability challenge. Every new requirement added to the Building Code has the potential to increase construction costs. While each individual change may appear small, the combined effect of many changes can increase costs and reduce affordability.
For this reason, we encourage the province to keep the Building Code as simple as possible. New requirements should only be introduced where they provide a clear public benefit. The Code review should focus on balancing the protection of health and safety with the need to avoid unnecessary complexity.