CFIB challenges governments to streamline permitting processes

Municipal governments can help address the shortage of housing in Canada by simplifying their permitting processes, says the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) in its report ‘Flushing out the nonsense.’

The report, released as part of CFIB's ‘15th annual Red Tape Awareness Week,’ shows that higher permit costs and a complicated process is causing businesses and contractors in the construction sector difficulty in obtaining or renewing permits and/or licenses. This, in turn, is impacting housing construction and the planning of renovations and remodels.

A strong majority of businesses (80 percent) say governments of all levels should make it a high priority to review the necessity of all business permits and licenses.

"If there are this many obstacles for a simple bathroom renovation, imagine how costly and time-consuming it is to permit a secondary suite, a complete renovation, or a new build,” says Francesca Basta, CFIB's research analyst and co-author of the report. “Permitting costs and processes should be straightforward and affordable.”

CFIB is asking municipalities to review their existing permitting and approval processes, establish publicly available service standards for permit processing, and simplify or automate certain processes. It is also asking provincial and federal governments to do their part to address red tape in the housing market.

For more information, visit Red Tape Awareness Week.