REACTION – Ending the “20-20-20” bylaw: The MEI applauds the City of Montreal’s decision

Montreal, January 23, 2026 – The MEI applauds Montreal Mayor Soraya Martinez Ferrada’s decision to end the Règlement pour une métropole mixte, seeing it as a way to reduce construction costs and stimulate housing starts.

“The Martinez Ferrada administration understands that imposing extra costs of up to $10,500 per unit does not stimulate housing construction,” says Renaud Brossard, vice president of communications at the MEI. “We’ll have to wait and see what replaces this bylaw, but today’s announcement is a step in the right direction in addressing our housing supply problem.”

The Règlement pour une métropole mixte—often called the “20-20-20” bylaw—imposed costs of up to $10,500 per unit on Montreal real estate developers, as shown in an Economic Note published by the MEI in 2023. These costs are ultimately passed on to renters and buyers.

The study also pointed out that regulatory uncertainty and the rigidity of municipal requirements increased the risk for investors and held back residential projects.

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The MEI is an independent public policy think tank with offices in Montreal, Ottawa, and Calgary. Through its publications, media appearances, and advisory services to policymakers, the MEI stimulates public policy debate and reforms based on sound economics and entrepreneurship.

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