Hamilton, ON, March 7th  – On March 3, the West End Home Builders’ Association (WE HBA) held its Annual Industry Luncheon at the Carmen’s Banquet Centre. With more than 320 attendees from the homebuilding and construction industries, WE HBA successfully held its first Industry Luncheon in 2 years.

The event’s Keynote Speaker, The Honourable Steve Clark Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, delivered strong remarks about all levels of government needing to take coordinated action to address the housing crisis.  “We need to make it easier and less expensive to build all types of housing faster, so that hard-working Ontarians can find a home that meets their needs and budget ” said Steve Clark. “It’s crucial that all levels of government take coordinated, pro-housing action to make it easier for all Ontarians to find the home that’s right for them.” Minister Clark also talked about the urgent need to identify and implement additional measures to address the housing supply crisis.

While addressing the assembly, WE HBA President, Bianca Bruzzese updated the members on the Association’s growth and transformatrion over the past two years. “Our membership has thrived. Corporate support from our partners is greater than ever. And we have seen significant growth and diversification within our builder member group, providing an excellent representation of the homes that our members build for this Community and the homes that buyers aspire to purchase.” said WE HBA President Bianca Bruzzese. The Association’s President also discussed the housing supply crisis and the importance of providing a safe and accessible community for our children and generations to come. “ We, as an Association, want to collaborate with all stakeholders and all levels of government to provide attainable housing options for home buyers today and for generations to come. We need to build 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. So, let’s work together to get it done.” said President Bianca Bruzzese.

The 2022 WE HBA Hall of Fame Inductee Diane Murray, made history as the first woman to be inducted into the WE HBA Hall of Fame. Diane Murray, who successfully served the Association as a Board Member between 2002 and 2004 and also served for many years on the Executive of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA), is also the recipient of multiple Association Awards including the Paul Wright Memorial Award, the WEHBA Distinguished Service Award and two Presidential Awards.

This year the West End Home Builders’ Association is also celebrating the 80th anniversary of its founding in 1942. WE HBA was formed in a time period when new home growth in the Hamilton-Halton region exploded and the need for a professional association that would establish high standards for new home building was prominent. “It was fantastic to be back in person with our city builders at the WE HBA Industry Luncheon.” said Mike Collins-Williams, CEO, West End Home Builders’ Association. “Our keynote speaker, the Honourable Steve Clark, carried a strong message to the industry and our municipal partners that we need to tackle this housing crisis by making it easier to build all types of housing in communities across Ontario. WE HBA was also proud to recognize Diane Murray as this years Hall of Fame inductee for her years of dedication to the industry.”

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The West End Home Builders’ Association (WE HBA) is the voice of the land development, new housing and professional renovation industries in Hamilton and Halton Region. The WE HBA represents nearly 300 member companies made up of all disciplines involved in land development and residential construction, including: builders, developers, professional renovators, trade contractors, consultants, and suppliers. The residential construction industry employed over 21,000 people, paying $1.3 billion in wages, and contributed over $2.3 billion in investment value within the Hamilton Census Metropolitan Area in 2019.

Press Contact

Elena Balaska, Manager of Membership & Communications, elena@westendhba.ca | (289) 208 1442