Will speeding up the municipal planning process really mean more homes for everyone?
That’s the inference after Wednesday’s provincial announcement of the More Homes for Everyone Act, which outlines a slate of measures to address Ontario’s housing crisis.
It includes a new tool specifically designed to speed up local government planning processes.
Called the community infrastructure and housing accelerator, it’s designed to help municipalities expedite approvals for housing and community infrastructure — such as hospitals and community centres — with clear requirements for both consultation and public notice.
Acting Mayor Barry Ward, however, points out that Barrie currently has approximately 19,000 units of housing that have been approved but not yet built.
“So it is hard to argue the problem rests with the city’s approval process,” he said. “There seems to be a problem with units not getting built after being approved and perhaps that is something the province should address. There are already mandatory deadlines municipalities have to meet in terms of planning approvals.”
Guelph Mayor Cam Guthrie, chairman of Ontario’s Big City Mayors, said it welcomes the proposed legislation, but has concerns the Ontario government should consider.
“While the province encouraged municipalities to look in our own backyards for solutions to planning delays, we are encouraging the province to continue to do the same,” Guthrie said.
And while Ward says local government should always strive to ensure the approval process for housing is as efficient as possible, care must be taken so that doesn’t mean cutting the public consultation portion.
“Residents should be informed about changes in their neighbourhood and given the opportunity to take part (in that process),” he said. “Barrie has gone the extra mile by giving the public a chance to comment at a neighbourhood meeting early in the process, along with the mandatory planning committee public meeting at city hall where the public is invited to speak followed by the chance to comment at a council meeting by way of deputation following any planning committee recommendation.”
Ward said he attended an Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) seminar a few years ago, which included a study done to determine why there were delays in the planning process.
“It found the developer was usually to blame, because necessary paperwork hadn’t been submitted or the proper studies hadn’t been completed,” he said. “These studies cover things such as traffic, stormwater management or shadows, so I would argue they are very necessary when city staff and city councils make a decision on development.”
Ward said at first glance there doesn’t seem to be much in the More Homes for Everyone Act that would have an immediate impact on Barrie’s affordable housing crisis.
“Although, there are some provisions, such as cracking down on land speculators who get approvals but don’t start construction and expediting approvals for non-profit housing, which could help in the long-term,” he said.
Working with municipalities to identify and enhance measures to reduce land speculation and protect home-buyers is in response to feedback from local councils about projects approved by the municipality but unbuilt by the developer.
Tim Hudak, CEO of the Ontario Real Estate Association, says the More Homes for Everyone Act is a positive step.
“This proposed bill will streamline the development application and approvals process and reduce fees, giving way to more housing supply and incentivizing timely municipal decisions on site planning,” said the former Ontario Progressive Conservative leader in a statement.
Meanwhile, Premier Doug Ford said he hopes the legislation will bring about changes.
“Ontario is the best place to live, start a business and raise a family, but we can only build on our success if all hard-working Ontarians and their families are able to find the home they need and want," Ford said in a government release. “As Ontario’s population and our economy continue to grow, building more homes is another way that we’re keeping costs down for families across the province.”
If the More Homes for Everyone Act is approved, the province would also invest more than $19 million to help the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) and the Landlord and Tenant Board to reduce their backlogs.
This funding would enable the tribunals to appoint new adjudicators, have resources on hand for mediation, and resolve land use planning and tenant and landlord disputes more quickly. This will also allow the OLT to expand its digital offerings to further enhance efficiency and provide more e-services.
The More Homes for Everyone Act is built upon recommendations from the housing affordability task force, and the provincial-municipal housing summit.
