This is the first in a series of questions posed to candidates running in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry
ahead of the upcoming election April 28.
Question 1: What concrete steps will you take to address the housing crisis?
Canada is facing a housing crisis driven by soaring prices, limited supply of affordable housing, inflation, and stagnant wages. These challenges are being felt across the globe and in communities across the country—including right here in Cornwall and SDG.
All candidates responded to our request except Cameron Tuck of the People’s Party of Canada.
Here are the full responses from the candidates who replied:
Eric Duncan, Conservative:
Under the Liberals, the cost of housing has doubled — home prices, down payments, mortgage payments, and rent have all doubled. In Cornwall, the average house price has increased even more than double. Our plan centers around getting more homes built, and cutting the burdensome red tape and taxes around homebuilding. We’d axe the GST on new sales under $1.3 million. That would save homebuyers up to $65,000 on the purchase of an average home and savings of roughly $3,000 in mortgage payments annually. This plan will also spark the creation of 36,000 extra homes annually and generate income for construction workers and businesses, and will raise an extra $2.52 billion in income tax revenue from trades workers and home builders. Conservatives will also incentivize municipalities to free up land, speed up permits and cut development charges to build 15% more homes each year.
Sarah Good, Liberal:
I see housing as one of our biggest issues. I will tackle our housing crisis head-on with the Liberals’ Build Canada Homes plan, aiming for 4 million homes by 2035. In Cornwall, I will push the Housing Accelerator Fund to speed up affordable builds, and I’ll work to secure loans for rural families to fix or construct homes. Partnering with municipalities, we’ll unlock public land for community-led projects. Prime Minister Carney’s GST cut for first-time buyers under $1 million will open doors for young families in Winchester and Crysler. I’ll advocate for pre-fab housing financing to slash costs and timelines, and reinstate tax incentives for rentals—vital for seniors and students in Stormont-Dundas-Glengarry. My council work in Cornwall proves I can bridge governments to deliver. As your Member of Parliament, I’ll ensure SDG gets federal tools to build homes fast, making ownership and renting affordable across our riding, not just big cities.
Mario Leclerc, NDP:
Since 2015, rent and home prices have doubled. As of February 2025, the average rent in Canada is $2,100. And Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has estimated that Canada needs nearly 6 million new homes as soon as possible. To meet the moment, the NDP Government’s first step will be to set aside 100% of suitable federal crown land that we already own to build over 100,000 rent-controlled homes by 2035. The NDP would also put more money for the Rental Protection Fund, a federal program that supports community housing projects. The NDP is going to fight back against corporations that are buying up affordable homes. We are going to ban large corporate landlords from engaging in the predatory practice of buying up affordable homes. We would restrict sales to individuals, non-profits, municipalities, agencies and co-ops. The NDP government would stop financial supports, such as low-interest federal loans and mortgage loan insurance, for corporate landlords who gouge tenants.
Gordon Kubanek, Green:
We will use the power of the federal government to access interest-free loans from the Bank of Canada to create co-housing, housing cooperatives, or joint living buildings like quadruplexes.
This would not only cost less per person but, by helping people live together, reduce the epidemic of loneliness, as one-person households are now the predominant household type.
Stay tuned for the next installment in this candidate Q&A series, where we continue exploring where each party stands on the issues that matter most to our community.
