Housing
Consumers Council of Canada’s work on housing related issues in recent years has been influenced by initiatives at all levels of government to respond to climate change. A significant part of the Council’s work has centred around the development of a more energy efficient building code, and gauging likely impacts on and acceptance by consumers of measures to promote energy efficient housing.
More recently the Council has explored the direct and indirect impact on consumers of urban planning objectives promoting residential intensification.
Council consumer representation and research has addressed:
- Residential intensification
- Home energy efficiency
- Consumer views on sustainable consumption
- Home renovation problems
- New home warranty programs
If you are concerned about consumer protection in housing, the Council encourages you to get involved.
Please contact us if you have some information you believe will assist the Council’s representation of consumers about housing-related issues.
Recent Developments
PIN Questionnaire Focuses on the Ability to Meet Public Needs
The newest report from the Public Interest Network (PIN) of the Consumers Council of Canada focuses on consumers’ views about sustainability, safety and future needs. The report is available in the Council’s online store. The Council uses online questionnaires...
Ontario Makes Condo Guide Disclosure Mandatory
Effective January 1, 2021, developers in Ontario are required to provide buyers of new or pre-construction residential condominiums a copy of the government's updated new guidebook on condo purchasing. The new Residential Condominium Buyers Guide was updated in...
Ontario Pledges Reformed Protections for New Home Buyers
Ontario new home buyers will see some reforms in the way homes are regulated and warrantied in late 2020, but the scope and many of the specifics of those changes have not been announced or put out for consultation. In early December, the government announced it was...
Related Reports
Towards a National Housing Strategy, 2016 Download
Residential Intensification: The Impact on Consumers, 2016 Download
Will Consumers Benefit from Enhanced Product Labeling on Energy-Efficient Products?, 2014 Download
Residential Intensification: Density and Its Discontents, 2014 Download
The Impact of Higher Energy Efficiency Standards on Housing Affordability in Alberta, 2012 Download
Sustainable Household Consumption: Key Considerations for a Canadian Strategy, 2009 Download
The Ontario Smart Metering Initiative – What Does It Mean for Ontario’s Residential Consumers, 2009 Download
Renovation Rip-Offs: Problems and Solutions, 2009 Download
Consumers’ Willingness to Pay for Climate Change Download
Energy Efficiency and Building Codes Download
Gaps in New Home Warranty Programs Across Canada Download