“Self-Defeating”: With DCs Out Of Control, Homeowners Are Paying The Price

British statesman Winston Churchill once said, “We contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.”

In many ways, that characterizes what we are doing with development charges (DCs) on new housing. Municipalities are unilaterally imposing the levies on new development to foot the bill for capital costs of infrastructure like roads, water, sewage and power services to support growth.

In the end, it is self-defeating as new homeowners end up paying exorbitant fees that raise the cost of housing.