Dresden’s Dave Depencier elected president of Ontario Home Builders’ Association

Dresden home builder Dave Depencier has stepped into the role of president of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association at a pivotal time in the industry.

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The provincial government has set a target of having 1.5 million new homes built in Ontario over the next decade at a time interest rates have soared putting affordable mortgages out of reach for many Canadians.

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“We are in an absolute housing crisis,” Depencier said. “It’s becoming harder and harder to build these homes.”

He is not sure if the average citizen truly understands the situation.

Depencier said the OBHA has done a good job over the years working with all levels of government, but noted there is still a lot of red tape to wade through to get homes built.

“The process to just buy land and get it developed, you’re two years before you can even start to put a shovel in the ground,” he said.

“There’s so many layers of approvals that overlap that shouldn’t overlap.”

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He added time is money and the process has to be streamlined.

Depencier said collaboration and communication between home builders and government is crucial.

He cited a situation in the Municipality of Chatham-Kent when more than a year ago a new development fee of $17,300 was added to a single-detached home.

Noting the development charge “was added overnight without consultation with the stakeholders,” Depencier said this kind of fee has a tremendous impact, especially since it is common for developers and home builders to pre-sell units.

“That (new) cost, overnight, added to our units that we pre-sold,” he said.

Depencier said developers could either take the loss on the new development charge or go back to their clients and tell them the price has gone up $17,300.

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“We all know where interest rates are right now,” he said. “We all know where affordability is right now, what people can spend.”

Depencier said developers don’t expect to never pay any kind of development charge.

“In a growing community that’s a part of it, but it has to be a fair process.”

Depencier said a big attraction for people wanting to buy homes in Chatham-Kent is the affordability.

He said adding a development charge this high is slowing pulling that affordability advantage away in Chatham-Kent.

Depencier said the OBHA acts as one voice to advocate for the industry across the province. He believes this is also a good approach to take when working with the municipality.

Another challenge being faced across the province is a shortage of skilled trade workers in the residential construction industry, said Depencier.

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“We need workers,” he said.

He added studies show the industry will lose approximately 92,000 workers mainly to retire over the next decade that need to be replaced with about 116,000 workers.

Depencier said the OBHA has been proactive with its Job Ready program, working with the Ontario Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development, to recruit, train and retain entry level construction workers.

It is an honor to be recognized among his peers by being elected as the OBHA president, Depencier said.

During his inaugural address, he highlighted the importance of collaboration among the association network, industry partners and government to expedite the development of new housing stock and meet Ontario’s housing targets.

“We’re not merely an association; we’re architects of the future, shapers of the landscape, and the heartbeat of our provincial housing industry,” Depencier said. “We are resilient, and together, we will thrive.”

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