WRHBA survey of 12 member firms reveals scale of development freeze and demands immediate action from the Region.
KITCHENER, ON I JUNE 1, 2026 A development freeze triggered by a failure to manage water supply capacity at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant is preventing thousands of approved homes from being built across Waterloo Region, costing jobs, stalling hundreds of millions in private investment, and eroding the Region’s reputation as a destination for housing investment.
That is the finding of a new survey conducted by the Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association (WRHBA), which gathered responses from 12 member firms representing thousands of units currently blocked from construction despite having full planning approvals in place.
“The homes are approved. The money is committed. The demand is real. The only thing missing is water, and that is the Region’s responsibility. Each week this freeze continues imposes real financial losses on our members, job losses across the trades, and delayed homes families are waiting for.”
- Marie Schroeder, CEO, Waterloo Region Home Builders’ Association