I build houses. I work with real people who just want a fair shot at owning or renting a place they can afford. When I hear politicians talk about housing like it’s some problem “over there” it drives me nuts.

Housing in Ottawa is less affordable today than it was four years ago. That’s not an opinion. That’s a result. And while City Hall talked, the federal government had to step in because the city couldn’t get houses built on its own.

That should tell you something.

I stand with builders and working trades, not developers. There’s a difference. Builders want to build. Trades want to work. Families want homes. What gets in the way is bureaucracy, indecision, and a City Hall that’s more interested in process than outcomes.

I know what it costs to build a house. I know what it costs families if we don’t get more houses built.

Consultation is fine. Listening matters. I listen to people all the time. At some point, you act. You can’t consult your way out of a housing shortage.

Ottawa needs more homes. Homes people can afford. Purpose-built rentals. Starter homes for young families. Housing near jobs and transit that works. And we need to cut red tape that adds cost without adding value.

Every delay adds dollars and hurts lives. Every cost added by City Hall gets passed down to renters and buyers. The people who pay the price are the ones working hard, saving every penny, and still falling behind.

I know how much groceries cost. I know the price of gas. I know what a mortgage payment feels like when rates jump. This isn’t theoretical to me. I’ve felt the pinch.

What frustrates me most is hearing politicians talk about “ambitious goals” while avoiding accountability for results. If housing is worse now than when you started, you did something wrong.

Ottawa needs someone who understands housing from the ground up. Literally. Someone who knows how houses get built, not just how they get announced.

We need homes. And we need them built now.