Poilievre warns of “next Liberal housing crisis” as construction stalls in GTA

Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre warned of another “Liberal housing crisis” as home construction has stalled in major cities, jeopardizing jobs across the building sector.

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Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre warned of another “Liberal housing crisis” as home construction has stalled in major cities, jeopardizing jobs across the building sector.

Speaking Tuesday in Brampton, Poilievre said federal policies under Prime Minister Mark Carney have left “buyers unable to buy, builders unable to build and sellers unable to sell.”

He noted housing starts in the Greater Toronto Area have fallen 49 per cent since 2024, with Toronto itself down 65 per cent — roughly 10,000 fewer homes.

In Kelowna, starts are down 36 per cent, while Vancouver has seen a five per cent decline.

Preconstruction sales of new homes in the GTA dropped to historic lows, down 48 per cent year-over-year in July and 82 per cent below the 10-year average.

Industry groups, including the Canadian Home Builders’ Association, report more than a third of builders surveyed have begun layoffs.

“The bubble is bursting, and it is hemorrhaging jobs and construction right across the country, nowhere worse than here in Ontario,” Poilievre told reporters.

In an emailed statement, Poilievre described the slowdown as the next stage of a housing crisis that began under the Liberals with soaring demand and high prices.

He said red tape, taxes and rising borrowing costs have stalled projects and triggered layoffs, with ripple effects for realtors, mortgage brokers and trades workers.

Conservatives are calling for four measures to spur building: removing federal sales tax on homes under $1.3 million, scrapping capital gains tax on reinvestments in homebuilding, tying federal infrastructure funds to a 15 per cent increase in municipal housing permits each year, and curbing immigration growth to align with available housing.

“This is a crisis not just for young families, but for every worker whose livelihood depends on housing, from trades to suppliers,” said Scott Aitchison, the party’s housing critic, who joined Poilievre at the event.

Poilievre has repeatedly blamed the Liberal government’s “money printing, immigration policies and taxes” for driving up demand while stifling supply.