GOHBA Press Releases

Through the new Better Homes Ottawa – Loan Program, homeowners can get a zero-interest loan of up to the lesser of $125,000 or 10 per cent of the current value of their home to cover the cost of home energy improvements. Measures eligible for financing through the program include: Basement, attic and exterior wall insulation…

By: Anita Murray, All Things Home | November 19, 2021   Inviting new homes, clever renovations, sophisticated kitchens and bathrooms, unexpected housing details: In a year that could have seen reduced interest thanks to the upheaval and distraction of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ottawa designers, builders and renovators found a way to carry on, finishing enough projects to enter…

New research shows that over the next decade, 83,000 homes need to be built in Ottawa to keep up with a growing number of new families. Ontario’s population is growing rapidly, which will require the building of one million new homes in the next ten years. Baby Needs a New Home, a new research paper…

The residential construction industry is facing a significant shortfall in skilled labour in the coming years. According to BuildForce Canada, our industry will have to hire over 100,000 new skilled workers in the coming decade across the country to address mass retirements as our workforce ages – or 20% of the entire skilled workforce. In…

Council recently directed City Staff to develop a residential Vacant Unit Tax based on staff’s framework and a review of similar regimes elsewhere. Staff’s recommendation is a 1% tax on properties if they are vacant for more than 184 (cumulative) days during the previous calendar year, which would mean a $4,150 bill on a $415,000…

For over a year now I’ve been talking about the need for Ottawa to be building homes Up, In and Out. Our population is expected to increase by 400,000 people from 2018 to 2046 (or 40% growth from our current 1 million residents). How are we ever going to supply enough homes to meet our…