By Allison Jones
Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack mentioned the goal has not been forgotten, however conceded there are challenges.
“We’ve obtained some fairly robust headwinds,” he mentioned at a press convention to announce his invoice.
“It’s a objective. However frankly, I’m targeted extra on — and our staff is concentrated on — the following 12 to 24 months, as a result of if it stays the best way it’s now, we’ll by no means get there. We’ve to make instant adjustments.”
Knowledge printed just lately by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Company confirmed that housing begins in Ontario in March have been down 46%, 12 months over 12 months, for communities with 10,000 or extra individuals.
Flack’s invoice would cut back the scope and variety of research municipalities can require for brand spanking new developments, pace up sure minor variances and standardize and streamline charges builders pay that municipalities use to fund housing-enabling infrastructure corresponding to water and sewer traces.
As effectively, it will enable municipalities to extra simply scale back improvement expenses, enable residential builders to pay these charges on the time of occupancy as a substitute of when a allow is issued, and exempt long-term care properties from the charges with the intention to spur their improvement.
Scott Andison, CEO of the Ontario House Builders’ Affiliation, mentioned that when the province’s municipalities all have probably completely different utility and improvement cost necessities, it slows down the house constructing course of.
“Within the absence of a standard utility course of, builders should retool their utility course of in response to probably 444 completely different utility necessities and navigate considerably completely different pathways to get to a single objective — approval to construct or renovate a house wanted by Ontario households,” he mentioned.
The invoice would additionally prolong the ability for granting Minister’s Zoning Orders, which override municipal bylaws, past the municipal affairs and housing minister to incorporate the minister of infrastructure with regards to transit-oriented communities.
It’s a instrument the province’s auditor basic has raised considerations with previously, noting that the province’s course of for MZOs can provide the looks of preferential remedy for some requests. The Progressive Conservative authorities used MZOs 114 instances from 2019 to 2023, which is a 17-fold improve in utilization from the earlier 20 years, the auditor discovered.
Liberal Chief Bonnie Crombie mentioned the usage of MZOs ought to be curtailed, not expanded.
“You don’t want one other minister’s fingers within the Ministerial Zoning Orders,” she mentioned.
“We’ve seen this authorities’s observe file, and we’ve seen the abuse that there will be, and that is simply one more alternative by broadening the ability and growing the variety of ministers who can now subject MZOs. It is a actually enormous concern.”
Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma mentioned the transfer will assist get extra housing constructed.
“We’re simply attempting to be extra environment friendly, however we’ll additionally proceed working with the onerous working (Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) workers,” she mentioned.
“We need to be versatile. We need to be nimble. I’ve MZOs that I’d wish to subject this 12 months.”
The invoice would additionally cap the variety of reasonably priced models a municipality can require in sure residential developments at 5 per cent with the intention to make initiatives extra viable, however Crombie mentioned it will result in a discount within the availability of reasonably priced housing.
As effectively, the invoice would standardize building necessities and supply readability that municipalities can’t create building requirements past the constructing code. Builders and builders have expressed frustration at municipalities that create extra necessities, corresponding to Toronto’s inexperienced constructing customary.
“At a time when there are such a lot of challenges dealing with the residential building trade, these adjustments are mandatory and important as they are going to simplify the approvals course of and make the homebuilding course of extra environment friendly,” Richard Lyall, president of the Residential Development Council of Ontario, mentioned of the invoice as an entire.
The federal government additionally introduced Monday that it’s going to add $400 million to 2 funds municipalities use to construct housing-enabling infrastructure.
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Final modified: Could 12, 2025
