What is the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force?

The Housing Affordability Task Force was first announced as part of the 2021 Ontario Economic Outlook and Fiscal Review: Build Ontario.

The Ontario government has appointed a new HATF made up of a diverse range of individuals from the following sectors: not-for-profit housing, Indigenous housing, real estate, home building, financial markets, and economics.

The Task Force will explore measures to address housing affordability by increasing the supply of market-rate rental and ownership housing; building housing supply in complete communities; reducing red tape and accelerating timelines; encouraging innovation and digital modernization, such as in planning processes; supporting economic recovery and job creation; and balancing housing needs with protecting the environment.

“Young families, seniors and all hardworking Ontarians are desperate for housing that meets their needs and budget,” said Premier Doug Ford. “At a time when our government is hard at work building an economy that works for everyone, this Task Force will provide us with concrete, expert advice that will support our government as we make it easier for more Ontarians to realize the dream of home ownership.”

Having a safe, affordable place to call home is an important building block in the foundation of success and happiness, which is why addressing housing supply and affordability is a key priority for the Ontario government.

Everyone has a role to play in fixing Ontario’s housing crisis. Ontario will continue to work with municipal partners to help them use the tools the province has provided to unlock housing and make finding a home more affordable for hardworking Ontarians. This includes working with municipalities through the upcoming Provincial-Municipal Housing Summit.

What happened next?

Updated October 2026 with the latest September 2026 market data.

The Task Force delivered its report on February 8, 2022, with 55 high-level recommendations. Its headline idea was a goal of building 1.5 million new homes in 10 years, and Ontario committed to a target of 1.5 million new homes by 2031. The province tracks its progress on the recommendations publicly on ontario.ca.

Where affordability stands today

There's some good news for buyers right now. In September 2026, the GTA's MLS® HPI composite benchmark price was 4.7% lower than a year earlier, and the average selling price was $1,006,409, down 5.1%. In York Region, the benchmark price was 6.5% lower year over year. The Bank of Canada has held its policy rate at 2.25% at every announcement in 2026, with its next decision on October 28.

Curious what that means for your town? [Browse our monthly market reports](/market-reports) or [search homes across South & Central Ontario](/search).

Sources:

• Report of the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force, February 8, 2022: https://files.ontario.ca/mmah-housing-affordability-task-force-report-en-2022-02-07-v2.pdf
• Ontario, Housing Affordability Task Force report and progress tracker: https://www.ontario.ca/page/housing-affordability-task-force-report
• TRREB Market Watch, September 2026: https://trreb.ca/wp-content/files/market-stats/market-watch/mw2609.pdf
• TRREB MLS® Home Price Index tables, September 2026: https://trreb.ca/wp-content/files/market-stats/home-price-index/TRREB_MLS_HPI_Public_Tables_0926.pdf
• Bank of Canada policy rate history: https://www.bankofcanada.ca/core-functions/monetary-policy/key-interest-rate/