Province announces “More homes, more choice: Ontario’s housing supply action plan”
May 6, 2019
Co-operative Housing Federation of Canada
On May 2, 2019, the Honourable Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, released the province’s new housing supply action plan More homes, more choice, which complements the Community Housing Renewal Strategy released in April.
Under the plan, the Minister is proposing amendments to multiple acts in order to increase the housing supply in Ontario by streamlining the development, planning and approval process.
The new Act includes amendments that would benefit the co-op housing sector, such as:
- The exemption of not-for-profit housing, along with rental providers, from paying community benefits to municipalities on new construction projects;
- Changes to the Development Charges Act that make it easier to build non-profit and purpose-built rentals by postponing development charges until the building is occupied.
- Increasing staffing at the Landlord and Tenant Board by hiring more adjudicators, which CHF Canada and co-ops have been calling for.
The proposed legislation also includes changes that permit inclusionary zoning around major transit corridors as directed by the Minister. CHF Canada welcomes the development of affordable housing in key transit corridors, but is concerned that the Act will likely limit the use of inclusionary zoning in other areas.
The plan also proposes a new community benefit authority which, if passed, would reform the way community benefits are calculated by municipalities. The proposed changes could cap community benefits in certain municipalities; the impact of these changes will be determined by the subsequent regulations.
In the coming months CHF Canada looks forward to working with the government on the details of the plan and reviewing the legislation and subsequent regulations in detail.
CHF Canada’s Ontario Region represents and serves over 500 housing co-ops in the province, home to some 125,000 Ontarians. Co-op housing has a solid track record of over five decades of building and providing safe, secure, affordable housing in member-owned communities.
For more information
Simone Swail, Manager, Government Relations, CHF Canada Tel: 416.366.1711 ext. 223 | sswail@chfcanada.coop
Scott Parry Co-ordinator, Government Relations, CHF Canada Tel: 416.366.1711 ext. 801 | sparry@chfcanda.coop