Ontario Introduces New Housing Bill
Ah the shrewd just-before-the-election moves keep coming. Almost two months ago, Premier Ford’s housing task force made 55 recommendations for how to solve the province’s housing crisis. The Housing Affordability Task Force posited that the provincial government should build 1.5 million new homes over the next decade by increasing density in urban centres and the surrounding suburbs while also recommending that cities have less control over housing developments by allowing the province to zoning, density, and urban design standards. The crux of the recommendations is that the province needs to boost supply and cut out municipalities in order to help solve the crisis. The Task Force also recommended that the province increase density in neighbourhoods with exclusive zoning standards for single-family homes, repeal municipal polices relating to the preservation of a neighbourhood’s character, set uniform standards for urban design, limit the amount of time spent on public consultation for housing developments, and dictate timelines for development approvals. You can read the full report here.
Now, two months after that report, the provincial government is once again hoping to help solve the housing crisis. Ontario Municipal Affairs Minister Steve Clark tabled a set of changes designed to cut through the municipal planning process. Part of the new bill states that municipal staff, and not elected councils, should oversee the “site plan control” process for housing development projects. The proposal also states that municipalities should refund developer fees if they miss any deadlines for approval. Yet to be drafted rules would also limit the power of municipalities when approving subdivision plans. The bill also involves a new process for cities, called the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator, to ask for he provincial governments approval to fast-track housing projects as a way to circumvent the current practice of ministerial zoning orders.
A separate idea recently enacted by the Ford government will see an increase in the tax for foreign homebuyers from 15% to 20% while also closing a loophole that allowed foreign students and workers to receive a tax rebate when purchasing real estate. The government has also spoken of it’s desire to pursue more longer-term goals like changes to Ontario’s building code to allow for “single points of egress” in six storey or smaller buildings and allowing twelve storey buildings to be built with timber frames as opposed to steel. Nothing in any of the new changes seeks to try and boost supply which is one of the main recommendations of the Task Force, but they do focus on cutting into municipal authority on housing development. It remains to be seen if the province will pursue some of the more radical recommendations made but it is nice to see them doing something to try and help.
Ultimately, people need to remember that in a free and democratic society, the government doesn’t control the market so there is only so much they can do. While the opposition parties have their own thoughts on how the housing crisis should be handled, none have released any concrete platforms of their own. For now, it’s a good start and will probably help Premier Ford’s chances of re-election, even if only slightly. We’ll see if the government looks to push for more radical solutions before the election or after if re-elected. You can find the whole contents of the bill here.