The CEO of the Saskatchewan Realtors Association is pleased to see housing as a main pillar of the federal budget. Chris Guerette says polls from the last election showed that many people believe affordability and availability of housing are one of the top issues.

Saskatchewan follows the same national trends for affordability and availability of housing, but Guerette notes that Saskatchewan’s price increase has been the smallest compared to last year and prior to the pandemic. A shortage of inventory is the issue in this province. Guerette says there isn’t enough housing for the amount of people looking for homes.

It’s good news to see a tax-free savings account for first time home buyers under 40, but Guerette notes that it’s one thing to help individuals to purchase a home, but if the immediate priority is bring more homes to the market, this won’t do that. However, the federal government has announced $4-billion for municipalities to update zoning and permit systems to get these homes built quicker. Guerette says turnaround times in Saskatoon and Regina for individual housing permits are good, but Saskatoon isn’t as fast with commercial permits. She explains that about 50 per cent of housing is commercial, because it’s for multi-unit homes.