In a joint meeting today, the Finance and Corporate Services Committee and the Planning and Housing Committee approved a new comprehensive plan to help deal with Ottawa’s housing crisis.
The plan builds on the work of the Housing Innovation Task Force, which brought City staff together with housing industry representatives to come up with ideas to help get more homes built faster. It also builds on changes the City has already made or is working to introduce, like speeding up planning reviews and allowing smart intensification, particularly near transit, through updates to the City’s zoning rules.
The bold strategy approved by Joint Committee will fundamentally change how the City approaches housing. The goal is to remove obstacles and use every available tool the City has to support building more homes. The plan focuses on areas where the City has the most control and includes five main objectives:
- Simplify the rules and make approvals faster: The City will simplify local oversight and streamline its processes to reduce delays and help get housing projects started more quickly.
- Create a housing-friendly culture at City Hall: The City will look at all local planning rules through a “housing lens” to ensure efficiency and greater focus on getting more homes built.
- Be more flexible with fees and charges: The City will temporarily lower some costs for builders to help them start projects now, instead of waiting for better market conditions.
- Better support affordable housing: The City will proactively prepare City-owned land for affordable housing projects and will create a 10-year housing roadmap to guide this work to help overcome the high building costs and limited funding that have slowed affordable housing.
- Build more homes near transit: The City will encourage new housing near public transit, with options for different budgets and family sizes to promote walkable vibrant neighborhoods.
