Letter to Minister Flack from Mayor Jan Liggett Oct. 6, 2026

Dear Minister Flack,

Congratulations on your continued appointment as Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. The City of Cambridge is grateful for your leadership and commitment to municipalities across Ontario. I am confident that, with you at the helm, municipalities will continue to have a strong partner at Queen's Park.

I am writing to express the City of Cambridge's appreciation for the Province's recent housing affordability initiatives, particularly the expansion of the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) rebate for new housing.

Your government has indicated that the enhanced HST relief could provide eligible purchasers with up to $130,000 in savings on new homes and is expected to stimulate approximately 8,000 additional housing starts while supporting up to 21,000 jobs across the province. As municipalities across Ontario continue to grapple with housing supply challenges, rising construction costs, and affordability pressures, it is encouraging to see measures that directly reduce the cost of homeownership and stimulate residential construction. We thank you.

From Cambridge's perspective, initiatives that directly lower the cost of purchasing or building housing can have the most impact on housing supply and affordability. I believe that reducing the cost of constructing and purchasing new homes remains one of the most effective ways to improve market conditions and help residents achieve home ownership.

We believe the Province's HST rebate approach is proving to be a highly effective mechanism for supporting housing affordability. Measures that directly improve project economics and support housing demand, can play a critical role in turning approved housing opportunities into homes that are actually built.

As such, I would encourage your government to consider extending and expanding the enhanced HST rebate framework.

Thank you for your leadership; we look forward to working collaboratively with the Province to ensure that communities such as Cambridge can continue to grow while remaining affordable and financially sustainable.

Sincerely,
Jan Liggett
Mayor, City of Cambridge

c. The Hon. Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance
Brian Riddell, Member of Provincial Parliament
Jess Dixon, Member of Provincial Parliament
Cambridge City Council
Rob Axiak, City Manager