Breaking ground: A jurisdictional update on housing initiatives to reduce red tape

Following the release of last year's report Flushing out the nonsense, CFIB issued its 2024 Red Tape Challenge, calling on governments at all levels to reduce red tape to help address the housing shortage with specific attention to wait times and service standards for processing permit applications.

CFIB’s 2025 report Breaking ground: A jurisdictional update on housing initiatives to reduce red tape follows up on this challenge, providing a comprehensive jurisdictional scan of the initiatives undertaken by federal, provincial and municipal governments across Canada to reduce red tape on housing. The report highlights progress across several key areas, including digitization, streamlined processes, zoning changes, and policy changes aimed at easing compliance for housing development.