WE ARE WRHBA

Since 1946, the Waterloo Region Home Builders Association (WRHBA) has been the recognized leader and the voice of the new residential home construction, land development, and professional renovation industries in the Regional Municipality of Waterloo, Ontario.

We are an association of knowledgeable, trusted, resourceful, and local professionals, and together, we create vibrant, thriving, and sustainable communities across our regional area, comprising three municipalities and four townships.

WRHBA member companies construct over 90% of all new residential units, making it one of the most significant economic engines driving the Region's economy, creating over 22,000 jobs, 1.5 billion in wages, and 3 billion in investment value.

We are over 150 member companies comprised of Builders, Developers, Renovators, Financial Specialists, Manufacturers, Service Professionals, Suppliers, and Trade Contractors.

As an Association, we are invested in bringing insight to public policy decision-makers on matters that affect the residential development and construction industry and its customers. Our strong presence benefits members as we work to encourage the government to establish fair and effective policies that impact and contribute to housing affordability and choice for consumers. We regularly facilitate discussions between the industry and the federal, provincial, regional, and local governments on matters that affect home ownership in Waterloo Region.

As a professional association, the WRHBA encourages innovation and excellence in the planning and the building of sustainable communities and in the redevelopment and renovation of existing ones.  

WRHBA and its members proudly support RenoMark, the industry's mark of excellence for renovators. Renovate confidently by using one of our renovator members who has met the criteria to join the program and proudly displays the RenoMark logo with their company.

Our History Dates Back to 1946:

At the end of the Second World War, the Waterloo region was experiencing a housing shortage. In the city of Waterloo, it was reported that 96% of all homes were personally owned, and a similar trend was observed in the city of Kitchener, although it did have a few apartment blocks.  Rental housing or apartment units were practically non-existent. Veterans came home from the war to wives that were living with their parents, and to girlfriends waiting to marry and start a family.  Both groups had dreams of owning their "own" homes. 

James A. Braby, Manager of S.W. Robb Construction Co., and Lyle S. Hallman, of Hallman Construction Limited, were the first to come together with a vision to create a Homebuilders association in this area. This collaboration led to James Braby negotiating the first-ever wartime housing contract with the federal government. Braby and Hallman organized five local builders to participate in executing the agreement to construct 100 homes for first-time home buyers. 

Several fundamental principles emerged during the development and the completion of the Wartime Housing initiative:

• The advantage of speaking with one voice;
• The power of working together to secure scarce building materials;
• The ability to secure adequate and accessible funding for credential mortgages;
• The benefits of an ongoing association.

This joint entrepreneurial effort played a pivotal role that ultimately led to the establishment of this dynamic association. First known as Kitchener-Waterloo House Builders Association registered in 1946,  it was later named Kitchener-Waterloo Housing and Urban Development Association of Canada (HUDAC), and today it is known as the Waterloo Region Home Builders' Association.