OTTAWA, ON – June 19, 2026. The Ottawa Board of Trade (OBOT) is calling on the City of Ottawa to pursue the maximum available funding under the federal-provincial Development Charge Reduction Program, including a full 50 per cent development charge reduction application, to accelerate housing development and secure critical infrastructure investment for Ottawa’s future. A 50 per cent development charge reduction will go a long way to making apartments and homes more affordable. By passing those savings onto tenants and homebuyers we are tackling the affordability crisis in our community.
The program presents a rare opportunity to increase housing supply while unlocking significant provincial and federal investment in the roads, transit, utilities, and community infrastructure required to support Ottawa’s growth. At a time when housing demand continues to outpace supply and infrastructure pressures are mounting, Ottawa should position itself to secure the maximum available funding.
For Ottawa’s business community, this is a key economic growth issue.
“Housing is one of the most important economic issues facing Ottawa today,” said Sueling Ching, President and CEO of the Ottawa Board of Trade. “Our ability to attract talent, grow businesses, strengthen key sectors such as defence, technology, tourism and healthcare, revitalize our downtown, and compete for future investment all depend on having enough housing for the people who want to live and work here.”
As Canada’s Capital, Ottawa is expected to absorb significant population growth while serving as a national centre for government, innovation, defence, tourism, education and healthcare. Meeting that opportunity will require an ambitious approach to both housing and infrastructure.
“Opportunities to simultaneously increase housing supply and secure major infrastructure investment do not come along often,” said Ching. “Ottawa has an opportunity to do both, and we should be doing everything possible to maximize it. At a time when cities across North America are competing for talent, investment and economic growth, we should be pursuing every available tool that helps us build the homes and infrastructure our future depends on.”
The Ottawa Board of Trade has long advocated for housing as a foundational economic priority and has called on all levels of government to work together to increase housing supply, improve affordability, and align infrastructure investments with growth objectives.
As co-chair of the Ottawa Housing Task Force, OBOT worked alongside leaders from government, industry, housing, and community organizations to advance recommendations aimed at removing barriers to housing development and ensuring Ottawa can accommodate future growth.
Housing is foundational to nearly every major economic objective facing Ottawa from growing our defence and technology sectors to supporting small businesses, attracting skilled workers, revitalizing downtown, and maintaining affordability and quality of life.
“This program represents exactly the kind of partnership Ottawa has been calling for,” said Ching. “For years, governments, business leaders, housing providers and community partners have agreed that solving our housing challenge requires coordinated action. This is an opportunity to align housing, infrastructure and economic growth around a shared objective.”
The Board of Trade believes pursuing the maximum level of participation would position Ottawa to secure the greatest possible infrastructure investment while advancing the city’s housing and economic development goals.
“Ottawa cannot afford to leave housing and infrastructure investment on the table,” said Ching. “The question is not whether we need more housing and infrastructure. We do. The question is whether we are prepared to seize an opportunity to secure additional investment that helps us build both.”
Pursuing the maximum level of participation would also send a powerful signal that Ottawa is open for growth, open for investment, and prepared to partner with other levels of government to build the homes, infrastructure and economy our future requires. The decisions we make today will shape how investors, employers and all governments view Ottawa’s ambition and readiness for decades to come.
“As Canada’s Capital, Ottawa has both an opportunity and a responsibility to think bigger,” Ching added. “Housing, infrastructure and economic competitiveness are inseparable. The cities that succeed over the next generation will be the ones that plan boldly, invest strategically, and build for growth. Ottawa should be one of those cities.”
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About the Ottawa Board of Trade
The Ottawa Board of Trade is the key independent voice of business in the National Capital Region, advocating for the conditions that enable businesses, communities and people to thrive. Through leadership, advocacy and partnerships, OBOT works to strengthen Ottawa’s economy, competitiveness and quality of life while advancing a prosperous future for Canada’s Capital.