May 29th will see Association leaders from across the country fanning out over Parliament Hill to talk with Members of Parliament, Senators, and their senior staff. Between the meetings and evening reception, hundreds of MPs and government officials will hear the important messages from CHBA about the needs of our members and customers.
CHBA’s annual “Day on the Hill” marks an important milestone in the Association’s advocacy calendar. It’s a chance to reinforce with MPs the importance of our industry in our national and local economies, and to talk about the many issues that impact our industry and voters when it comes to their homes and communities.
It starts with ensuring government decision-makers understand the importance of our industry – the jobs we create, the economic impacts of residential construction, and the scale of our industry compared with others. Having members discuss these important topics with MPs is a highly effective way to make these messages resonate. We can then better discuss our issues, including such things as tax policy, the need for smarter regulation, and the growing disconnect between housing supply and demand that is making it harder for young families to become homeowners.
This year’s Day on the Hill is already part of the lead up to the next election. It is timed to start informing pre-budget consultations, submissions for which are due in the summer. And that next budget will be a pre-election budget – a key time for “asks” that benefit voters, as CHBA’s do. It also comes shortly before the summer recess for Parliament, preparing MPs as they hit the BBQ circuit, where our members can follow up and keeping the housing industry and affordability discussion top-of-mind. Stay tuned for more on this big day.
