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In this episode of the Commercial Real Estate Podcast, hosts Aaron Cameron and Adam Powadiuk welcome Tony Irwin, President and CEO of Rental Housing Canada, to explore the evolving landscape of federal housing advocacy. Tony shares insights on the rebranding and expansion of his organization, current policy priorities like development charge reform, and strategies for engaging government stakeholders effectively. Listeners will learn about emerging initiatives such as Build Canada Homes, the potential return of the MIRB program, and why unified industry advocacy is essential for shaping Canada’s housing policies and addressing the national rental housing challenge.

What you will learn:

• How the federal government’s approach to housing policy has evolved over the years


• The strategic importance of having unified advocacy across municipal, provincial, and federal levels


• Why development charge reform requires specific solutions beyond deferrals to meaningfully impact housing development


• How the proposed Build Canada Homes program could reshape federal housing initiatives


• The potential impact of reintroducing the MIRB (Multiple-unit Interest Realty Building) program on rental housing development


• Why industry advocacy must balance technical complexity with clear, actionable policy recommendations


• How industry associations are working to streamline processes between government agencies and housing developers


• The critical role of maintaining consistent messaging across all levels of government to achieve effective policy change


• Why housing supply solutions require multiple coordinated approaches rather than single policy fixes

Tony Irwin is the President and CEO of Rental Housing Canada and the Federation of Rental Providers of Ontario (FRPO), bringing extensive expertise in rental housing advocacy and policy development. With a career-long background in government relations and lobbying, Tony has been instrumental in shaping housing policy discussions at both provincial and federal levels. In this episode, he shares insights on the evolution of rental housing advocacy in Canada, the current state of federal housing initiatives like Build Canada Homes, and key policy priorities, including development charge reform and the MIRB program. His work in building relationships between the rental housing industry and government stakeholders has helped create more effective dialogue around housing solutions. 

The post Driving Federal Housing Policy Change to Address the Housing Crisis with Tony Irwin, President and CEO of Rental Housing Canada appeared first on Commercial Real Estate Podcast.