The Canadian Home Builders’ Association – Central Interior says the federal government’s 2025 budget doesn’t go far enough to help middle-income families buy homes — and leaves builders struggling to keep up with demand.

The federal government’s new “Build Canada Homes” initiative focuses on homelessness and low-income housing, but CHBA says it does little to help average working families trying to buy their first home or move within their community. “We support efforts to expand government-assisted housing,” said Chris Crowell, President of CHBA Central Interior. “But this budget leaves behind the average working family. Without strong policies to make ownership attainable, the housing crisis will only deepen.”

Builders Still Face Big Challenges

In an interview with Radio NL, Crowell said that while the budget includes a few measures that could help builders, the details are unclear and many key priorities were ignored. “There were a couple of things in there, but definitely not what we were hoping for,” Crowell said. “We’ve been advocating for policies that directly help builders create housing — things like meaningful GST relief and help with development costs — but this budget fell short.”

One key example is the First-Time Home Buyers’ GST Rebate, which would remove the federal GST on new homes up to $1 million. But it only applies to first-time buyers and hasn’t yet received Royal Assent, meaning it isn’t in effect. “It’s a good step, but it only helps first-time buyers, and we were hoping for relief for all homebuyers,” Crowell said.

Local Impact in Kamloops

CHBA notes that building permits in Kamloops and the Thompson region have slowed, reflecting stalled projects and uncertainty in the construction workforce. Across B.C., 39% of builders have reduced staff, mirroring a national trend.

Crowell says this slowdown is partly due to rising development costs and unclear government policies. Even new federal programs, like the $17-billion Build Communities Strong Fund, lack clarity on how the money will reduce fees or help builders get projects moving. “We need to see these dollars actually translate into lower fees,” he said. “Right now, costs just keep going up, making it harder to build the homes our communities need.”

Who Can Make a Difference?

Crowell explained that federal, provincial, and municipal governments all play a role, but policies from Ottawa and Victoria can sometimes have unintended financial impacts on housing projects. Locally, the City of Kamloops works closely with builders to keep things moving, but bigger decisions are often out of local control.

A Message for Families

For families worried about buying a home, Crowell said CHBA members understand the struggle:
“We’re all trying to find places to live locally. It’s a challenge, and we’re working to communicate the issues to decision-makers at all levels. For now, we urge everyone to pay attention to policies and processes, because costs can have a huge impact on housing availability.”

What CHBA Wants Now

CHBA Central Interior is calling for:

• Policies that encourage diverse home types like townhomes and detached houses.
• Collaboration between federal and provincial governments to reduce land development and servicing costs.
• Workforce training programs to support the construction sector.

Crowell says without these measures, homeownership will remain out of reach for many families, and the housing crisis will continue. “Homeownership has moved out of reach for too many Canadians,” he said. “We need real measures that make it possible for working families to build equity and put down roots in their communities.”

CHBA Central Interior will continue working with CHBA BC and CHBA National to push for expanded GST relief, development cost reform, and stronger support for builders ahead of the spring 2026 federal economic update.