Over the past several decades, the Greater Simcoe Region has experienced significant growth, outpacing many other areas across the country. We have become a popular destination for young families, newcomers, and those hoping to realize their dream of achieving homeownership. Tremendous opportunities lay ahead for our municipalities, but only if we have a steady and clear vision to support the growth and development of our region.
The members and local Realtors® of the Barrie & District Association of REALTORS (BDAR) are committed to ensuring our neighbourhoods are vibrant, inclusive, and affordable for our residents, new and old, to live. As leaders and experts in the real estate sector, BDAR members know that housing affordability is top of mind for voters across the region.
With a little under a month left to the municipal election, we hope all municipal candidates develop tangible plans and strategies to ensure our communities are properly serviced and homes are priced reasonably. Our municipalities need and deserve strong and innovative leadership to increase our housing supply while driving affordability.
As leaders and experts in the real estate sector, we encourage each municipal candidate to consider and include the following policies in their platform to ensure housing is accessible to all residents:
Increase accessibility for affordable housing units by pursuing positive policy changes that will make development more economically viable for developers.
Encourage the growth of our downtown cores by increasing height and density.
Pursue changes that encourage multi-unit properties, legal second suites, and garden suites.
Support first-time buyers by developing measures to alleviate barriers to home ownership at the municipal level.
As Canada's fastest-growing community, the Greater Simcoe Region has the potential to be a thriving and vibrant destination for all residents. We await the mayoral candidates' plan on how they best see fit to turn this vision into reality.
About BDAR
The Barrie & District Association of REALTORS® (BDAR) represents over 1,500 REALTORS® in the Greater Simcoe County region. BDAR provides its members leadership opportunities, professional development, and other tools and services to help them deliver a high standard of services to their clients. BDAR is community‐focused and believes that community prosperity is largely based on shelter and home ownership. The Association has a strong focus on affordable housing and helping first‐time buyers understand how to get on the housing ladder. To learn more visit https://bdar.ca