Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Mississauga on Wednesday morning to announce an HST rebate plan that will lower the cost of new homes. Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish was among a number of other officials on hand.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is expanding the HST rebate program in a move that will kickstart the housing sector and help many families realize “the dream of home ownership.”

In Mississauga on Wednesday morning on the eve of the release of the 2026 Ontario budget, Ford said the full 13 per cent of the Harmonized Sales Tax is being removed in the coming year for eligible buyers of new homes valued up to $1.5 million. The maximum rebate would be $130,000, the province said.

The premier added that for far too long, “the dream of home ownership has been out of reach for many.”

Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish, whose housing task force has led to several moves the last couple of years to boost affordable housing construction in the city, described Ford’s announcement as the “cherry on top” of Mississauga initiatives already in place.

“We’ve done everything humanly possible (in Mississauga)” to help build homes faster and make them less expensive, Parrish said while standing alongside Ford and others at Wednesday’s announcement. She added Canada’s seventh-largest city is in the process of getting 17,000 affordable housing units built and “this (announcement) will double that very shortly.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford was in Mississauga on Wednesday to announce a plan to expand the HST rebate program for homebuyers.

The mayor said Mississauga welcomes the HST rebate news from the province, calling it an “important step” to make homes more affordable.

“The provincial government’s HST cut will help turn Mississaugans’ home ownership dreams into reality. We have been doing all we can — through reductions and elimination of development charges — to get more homes built and make them more affordable. We aim to continue setting an example across Ontario. Today’s announcement furthers the necessary, coordinated effort across Canada to address affordability.”

The province’s move, which it says will spur new home construction and “keep costs down for families,” builds on the provincial and federal governments’ previous move to rebate the HST for all first-time buyers of new homes up to $1 million.

Ottawa has agreed to cost-share with Ontario in support of the expanded HST rebate.

“The federal government has agreed to cost-share with Ontario in support of provincial housing initiatives, subject to passage of federal legislation, which would approximately cover the federal five per cent portion of the HST that is being removed from new homes in Ontario,” the province said in a news release on Wednesday morning. “This partnership would provide almost $2.2 billion in total joint tax relief for housing in Ontario.”

Ford added that “in the face of tariffs and economic uncertainty, our government is working closely with the federal government to do everything we can to lower costs for families, keep workers on the job and build the most competitive, resilient and self-reliant economy in the G7.

“Today’s announcement will provide meaningful and significant relief to the people of Ontario, helping thousands more families realize the dream of homeownership and boosting Ontario’s economy by $2.7 billion.”

The proposal would strengthen the existing provincial HST New Housing Rebate and New Residential Rental Property Rebate for one year — from April 1 through March 31, 2027, temporarily removing the HST for eligible buyers of qualifying new homes, the province said.

“Home ownership is a cornerstone of Ontario’s economic success,” said Rob Flack, minister of municipal affairs and housing. “Ontario thrives only when its people thrive. That is why our government is taking this massive step forward to protect Ontario by creating conditions to get more shovels in the ground, build more homes faster and help make the dream of home ownership a reality for more people.”


INsauga’s Editorial Standards and Policies

Last 30 Days: 35,669 Votes

All Time: 1,269,493 Votes

1097 VOTES
Are you tipping less at restaurants due to price increases?

WIN A $100 GIFT CARD

Subscribe to INsauga’s daily email newsletter for a chance to win a $100 Amazon gift card.