From Sunday, October 18, to Tuesday, October 20, some 400 REALTORS® and real estate board and association staff gathered in Ottawa under beautiful sunny skies to participate in the Canadian Real Estate Association’s (CREA’s) 2026 Political Action Committee (PAC) Days conference.  

Highlights of the program included keynote addresses from Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent for the BBC and author of The Finest Hotel in Kabul; Kirsten Hillman, former Canadian Ambassador to the United States; and federal NDP Leader Avi Lewis.  

Many key members of the federal Liberal and Conservative parties were absent this year, as they were in Alberta, petitioning voters to oppose a referendum proposal to begin the legal process for a subsequent referendum on whether to separate from Canada.  

Engaging as always were the media panel, made up of Chantal Hébert, Rob Russo, and Susan Delacourt, and the “Inside the Political Backrooms” panel, made up of key political consultants advising the three main parties.  

Two New Asks for 2026 

But the main reason we were gathered in Ottawa was to meet with members of parliament (MPs) and deliver CREA’s two asks for 2026. These asks were widely praised by many of the attendees for their detailed, specific policy points.  

The first recommendation calls for an expansion of the Mortgage Loan Insurance (MLI) Select program for missing middle rental housing and creating a complementary MLI Select program for ownership housing. The intent of this recommendation is to build on the good work that MLI Select is already doing on rental housing and create additional incentives to allow for more ownership options. 

The second recommendation is to advise the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) to direct financial institutions to include non-salaried sources of income for the purposes of calculating debt-service ratios. This would allow lenders to appropriately recognize income from self-employment, contract work, and multiple sources of income.  

In 2023, 2.7 million Canadians were self-employed, and more than one-quarter of those reported gig work as their main source of income. Rules for income verification need to keep up with changes in the labour market, lest millions of Canadians be left behind in their quest for their first home.  

By all accounts, these two asks resonated well with MPs of all parties. While they are relatively simple changes that don’t require new or amended legislation, they could still have substantial “on the ground” positive results, representing logical, pragmatic adjustments to the system.  

At last count, more than 140 MP meetings have been completed, with a few more to take place in MPs’ constituency offices. 

In closing, I’d like to offer a special shout-out to BC REALTOR® Darin Germyn, Chair of CREA’s Federal Affairs Committee, who did a fine job as one of the key emcees for the event.

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