Premier Doug Ford committed to making it more appealing for developers to build rental housing in Ontario in keynote remarks he delivered at the Ontario Real Estate Association's annual political affairs conference.

"It's almost never been more difficult or expensive to find a home to rent in Ontario," said Ford, acknowledging that Ontario's average rental costs are the second highest in Canada, behind British Columbia. Ontario’s current rental vacancy rate is 1.6 per cent, the province’s lowest level in 17 years.

"I promised the people of Ontario that our government would help create more housing — and more housing people can afford. We're keeping that promise," said Ford, stating that the government will be cutting red tape to make it easier to build the housing that's needed, and shortening the approval times to get shovels in the ground.

"Our government also knows that making sure people have an affordable place to live is good for our towns and cities, and good for our economy," said Ford. "Everyone in Ontario deserves a place to call home."

No specific details were provided.