New report calls for greater housing density and variety
A new high-level report by Ontario’s Housing Affordability Task Force has once again stressed the core role of improving housing supply to ensure more reasonable price levels, recommending a provincial target of adding 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years.
To facilitate the development of this boosted supply, the report called for changes to planning and zoning policies – changes that would “allow for greater density and increase the variety of housing,” the task force said.
Cutting the red tape and streamlining urban design rules will help lower costs of development. Another important step is to depoliticize the approvals process to address the “not in my backyard” mentality, the task force said.
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The modernization of the approvals and planning processes through further digitization, along with the development of new pathways to homeownership, will help ensure the speedy construction of new supply, the report said.
The task force also called on the Ontario Land Tribunal to prioritize cases that increase housing, and to prevent the rampant misuse and abuse of the appeals process.
“Everyone has a role to play in addressing the housing supply crisis. As our government consults with municipalities, the public, and industry leaders and experts, we are balancing these perspectives to develop practical, forward-thinking policies that unlock and fast-track all types of housing for all types of Ontarians,” said Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
