Accelerating Rental Supply: Encouraging Development While Safeguarding Tenants
CMHC research stresses the need for substantial private-sector investment to address Canada’s rental housing shortage, warning that governments alone cannot meet demand. While some call for tighter rent controls, CMHC finds no firm evidence that private ownership leads to undue rent increases and notes rent control can reduce supply and quality. The report urges balancing investor returns with strong tenant protections, citing Quebec as an example of combining rent regulation with healthy supply. For the multi-unit sector, the findings reinforce that long-term institutional investment and supportive policy frameworks are essential to avoid the boom-and-bust cycles that harm affordability.
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