Ontario needs a better way to finance the infrastructure that unlocks housing

Ontario's housing supply is constrained not only by zoning and costs but also by how infrastructure—water, roads, parks—is financed. Developers often must fund costly infrastructure upfront without a clear way to recover expenses, hindering project viability and raising prices. Unlike Ontario, many U.S. states use special districts to finance infrastructure through bonds repaid over time via property assessments. Adapting such a model with proper safeguards could improve infrastructure funding timing, helping more housing projects proceed.