The Globe and Mail reports in its Wednesday, Sept. 27, edition that since Ottawa announced it would cut the 5-per-cent GST on new purpose-built rental units, apartment developers have announced plans for thousands of rental apartments. The Globe's Mark Rendell and Rachelle Younglai write that Dream Unlimited said the GST waiver would allow it to proceed with more than 5,000 new rental units in Ottawa, Saskatoon, Calgary and Toronto. Dream president Michael Cooper called the waiver a "game changer," and said his company will start construction on 1,350 units this year and the remaining 3,700 over the following two years. Fitzrovia RE said the tax discount would allow it to build 3,000 more rental units within the next 10 months. Tricon Residential said it would start work on more than 1,000 units within the next six months. Even before the GST change, CMHC was directing an increasing portion of the Canada Mortgage Bond program toward multiunit developments. In a background briefing, a Department of Finance official said that 53 per cent of the bond issuance so far this year has been 10-year bonds, which are used to finance larger developments. Tenant advocates want renters to have a more secure form of housing.