Building in Uncertain Times: Keeping Housing Moving

Understanding the future of purpose-built rental development:  

Examining how demand trends and project feasibility are reshaping rental markets, and what this means for housing delivery across different built forms, from high-rise towers to missing middle. 

The impact of policy changes on housing supply: 

Assessing how recent changes, including HST policy and development charges, are reshaping development activity and influencing project feasibility across Ontario. 

Reducing friction in approvals and delivery: 

Exploring how new planning technology tools, and innovative construction methods are helping industry and government improve efficiency, modernize processes, and accelerate housing delivery. 

Building conditions that enable more housing: 

Advancing discussions on zoning standardization, building code reform, and incentive frameworks that remove constraints and support housing delivery at scale.

8:30 AM – 9:00 AM: Registration and Networking Breakfast 

9:00 AM – 9:05 AM: Welcome Remarks  

• Giles Gherson, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade

9:05 AM – 9:20 AM: Opening Keynote

9:20 AM – 9:30 AM: Table Setting : A Housing Market Outlook 
The housing sector is entering a period of uncertainty as market conditions, financing, and policy continue to evolve. This keynote will examine the forces shaping housing delivery over the next three to five years, highlighting the key challenges, opportunities, and actions needed to accelerate the path from approval to construction. 

• Benjamin Tal, Managing Director and Deputy Chief Economist, CIBC Capital Markets 

9:30 AM – 9:50 AM: Fireside Chat - Building the Cities of Tomorrow
How must the industry evolve to deliver more homes in a changing economic, technological and regulatory environment? Hear how new financing models, partnerships and approaches to development can help unlock housing delivery. The conversation will explore how capital, industry and government can work together to support greater productivity, innovation and investment across the housing sector.

• Jon Love, Executive Chairman, KingSett Capital
• Giles Gherson, President and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade

9:50 AM – 10:20 AM: Panel – Future of Purpose-Built Rentals
Purpose-built rentals has remained one of the strongest areas of new housing development despite broader market challenges. This panel will explore what's driving new rental construction today, what it signals for the future of purpose-built housing over the next three to five years, and how these trends could shape the mix of homes needed to support the Toronto region's growth and competitiveness.

• Table Setting and Moderator: Tony Irwin, President & CEO, Federation of Rental-housing Providers of Ontario (FRPO)

10:20 AM – 10:35 AM: Keynote: Building at Scale
What needs to change in the way homes are planned, designed and constructed to deliver significantly more housing? Drawing on decades of experience building in Canada and the U.S., Peter Gilgan will offer his perspective on where the homebuilding model needs to evolve, including how technology can help address current economic and regulatory constraints, support approaches such as manufactured and modular construction, and unlock greater productivity and scale across the industry.

• Peter Gilgan, Founder and Chairman, Mattamy Homes Canada

10:35 AM – 10:45 AM: Networking Break  

10:45 AM - 10:55 AM: Lightning Talks – The Future of City Building 
Hear from industry leaders as they share practical insights on how technology is transforming the way housing is planned, designed, built, and managed, and the barriers that continue to slow adoption.

• David Messer, Director, Climate Smart Buildings Alliance (CSBA)
• Pamela Blais, Principal, Metropole Consultants 

10:55 AM - 11:10 AM: Special Address - A New Model for Housing Delivery
An exploration how new institutional models, financing tools, partnerships, and construction approaches can help move more housing into construction. It will consider the role of public leadership in bringing together capital, land, industry, and modern methods of construction, setting the stage for a broader conversation about financing the next wave of housing supply.

11:10 AM – 11:15 AM: Context Setting Remarks

11:15 AM – 11:45 AM: Panel – Financing the Next Wave of Housing Supply
With housing projects facing growing financial and economic pressures, this panel will explore the range of tools needed to make development viable and move projects into construction. The discussion will consider recent changes to development charges and the HST alongside alternative financing models, public investment, and partnerships that could help unlock housing supply.

• Jasmine Young, Vice President Market Advisory, Zonda Urban 
• Nick Gefuica, Senior Vice President, EllisDon Community Builders
• Kevin VamKampen, SVP, Business Banking, Meridian 
• Warren Krug, Executive Vice President & Chief Investment Officer, Brookfield Residential 

11:45 AM – 12:00 PM: Fireside Chat: Foundations for a Comeback
Homebuilding across the Toronto region is under pressure from all sides. Rising construction costs, difficult market conditions, constrained capacity and access to capital are making projects harder to advance, even as the need for new housing continues to grow. This candid conversation will examine what is holding projects back, where the development model needs to adapt, and what industry, capital providers and government can do to help restore momentum and get more homes built.

12:00 PM – 12:05 PM: Closing Remarks 

• Giles Gherson, President & CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade