The Oxford County Builders Association is supporting Ontario’s new Development Charge Reduction Program, saying it could help increase housing construction while funding critical infrastructure projects. The group is urging Oxford County municipalities to apply before the June 19th deadline to access provincial and federal funding.
The Oxford County Builders Association is welcoming the Province of Ontario’s newly announced Development Charge Reduction Program, describing it as a positive step toward increasing housing construction while supporting the infrastructure needed for growing communities.
The Canada–Ontario Partnership to Build will provide significant provincial and federal funding to municipalities that lower and maintain development charges. The program is designed to help fund critical infrastructure projects such as roads, water and wastewater services, transit systems, and public safety improvements that are necessary to accommodate new housing development.
The association says reducing development charges can help remove financial obstacles that often slow residential construction. It believes the program will give municipalities another tool to encourage housing growth, improve affordability for homebuyers, and stimulate local economic activity. The OCBA is urging eligible municipalities across Oxford County to take advantage of the funding opportunity and submit applications as soon as possible.
Key points OCBA highlights:
• Opportunity to maximize funding: Municipalities that reduce DCs by 30–50% (or more)
and pair reductions with municipal contributions can secure significant provincial and
federal investment for infrastructure.
• Supports shovel-ready, housing-enabling projects: The program prioritizes projects in DC
background studies and capital plans that can begin construction by July 31st, 2030 and be
completed by October 31, 2035.
• Encourages collaboration: Joint municipal applications can increase scale and efficiency;
OCBA supports regional coordination to maximize community benefits.
• Recognition for early action: Municipalities that reduced DCs before March 30th, 2026 are
encouraged to apply and receive recognition for their leadership.
• Time-limited intake: The province is moving quickly — the single intake window runs
June 1st–19th — so timely municipal action is required to access the full ten-year funding
commitment and to align with temporary HST relief to accelerate summer construction.
OCBA calls on Oxford County municipalities to:
1. Prioritize and submit applications to the DC Reduction Program;
2. Consider ambitious, strategic DC reductions that unlock provincial matching funds; and
3. Coordinate with the building industry to identify shovel-ready, housing-enabling projects
