Government red tape, even at the municipal level, hurts efforts to build affordable housing.
A recent public meeting reviewing a new, proposed Community Improvement Plan (CIP) gave an illustration.
This CIP is to provide financial incentives designed to increase the supply of housing and rental housing. It's also expected to accelerate the construction of new housing throughout Barrie by reducing the cost of new housing development for non-profit and market developers seeking to deliver affordable options and market-rate rental housing.
Camphill Foundation Canada has been providing assisted housing or social housing and supportive housing in Barrie for more than 25 years, and in the County of Simcoe for close to 40 years, said executive director Kathy Downes.
It has an affordable housing project in Barrie to rebuild a bungalow for two individuals that require housing support.
“But one important component that’s missing that I noticed was the cumbersome and often project-killing wait times for our permit process,” Downes told city councillors in May. “Case in point, we just recently waited over 30 days to get a demolition permit approved.”
She suggests accelerating the process of obtaining planning and zoning permits, along with other administrative processes, for non-profit housing developers.
“These types of delays can lead us to having to scramble to find another supplier, or go and have to pay a higher price,” Downes said. “So something in CIP to give priority or at least a timeline — 10 days, 15 days, that can be stuck to — for those smaller non-profit housing projects … that would be greatly appreciated.”
Community improvement can include the development, redevelopment or construction of residential uses and buildings, including affordable housing.
The city has funding to make this work.
It’s CIP reserve balance is a little more than $4.6 million and council could also use some of its federal housing accelerator fund money, totalling $25.7 million (over three years), and/or provincial building better faster funds, $6.34 million, both granted earlier this year, to fund CIP programs.
