TORONTO – Ontario passed a housing bill on Monday aimed at spurring development but critics say it will lead to higher property taxes, weaken conservation authority powers and won’t actually make homes more affordable.
The new law is just one step in the Progressive Conservative government’s flurry of recent housing changes, including plans to open some areas of protected greenbelt land to development and allowing the mayors of Toronto and Ottawa to pass bye-laws with only one is- support of the third council
Premier Doug Ford’s housing push comes as the government seeks to build 1.5 million homes over 10 years, while high inflation and interest rates force the province to revise projections for housing. Ontario expects to build fewer than 80,000 new homes each year for the next few years.
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Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Steve Clark said Ontario is facing a “severe” housing crisis and it requires bold solutions.
“If we are really going to build affordable housing in this province, if all the mayors and councilors who said during their municipal elections wanted to encourage more housing opportunity in their communities, this is one way that the government has said very clearly that we want to investigate,” Clark said Monday after the bill passed.
One of the most controversial aspects of the bill is to freeze, reduce and waive the fees developers pay to build affordable housing, non-profit housing and inclusive zoning units – affordable housing in new developments – as well as some rental units.
Those fees go to municipalities and are then used to pay for services to support the new homes, such as road and sewer infrastructure and community centres.
The Federation of Municipalities of Ontario has said the changes could reduce municipalities by $5 billion and see taxpayers footing the bill – either in the form of higher property taxes or service cuts – and the bill does so There is nothing that will guarantee better housing capacity.
The Bill also limits the areas where conservation authorities can consider development permissions, removing factors such as pollution and conservation of land.
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