February 16, 2024 Newsletter

This week, the Government of Canada and the City of Ottawa announced that they reached an agreement to fast-track more than 4,400 housing units over the next three years. This work will help spur the construction of 32,600 homes over the next decade.

The announcement was made on Monday by Kanata-Carleton MP Jenna Sudds, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, on behalf of MP Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, with nearly half of Ottawa City Council members in attendance. The announcement was held at the Mikinak Community, which is the newest affordable housing development in Ottawa, located in Wateridge Village in Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward. 

Under the Housing Accelerator Fund, this agreement will provide the City of Ottawa with more than $176.3 million to eliminate barriers to building the housing we need, faster. It will allow for more housing options in the City of Ottawa, including more rental, affordable, and missing middle-housing. Provision of the funds will be dependent upon zoning changes that would allow up to four units as-of-right through the City’s comprehensive By-law Review process. The by-law process will not be fast-tracked and will undergo the usual level of public consultation.

Ottawa’s Action Plan concerning the Housing Accelerator Fund proposes a variety of approaches that will leave lasting impacts on the broader housing system and influence long-range planning through a city-wide plan. Initiatives proposed include the elimination or simplification of rezoning requirements to allow for low-density area intensification, expansion of existing affordable rental programming, and modernizing policy and regulatory frameworks including digitization and leveraging office buildings and city-owned land for housing.

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe said: “Ottawa’s new Official Plan, in combination with the Housing Accelerator Fund, will help the City take immediate actions to mitigate the housing crisis. We are advancing our Comprehensive Zoning By-law so that Ottawa can achieve higher densities in a balanced approach city-wide that aligns with our Infrastructure Master Plan. The funding announced today represents a significant investment towards made-in-Ottawa solutions to get homes built faster, and support the systemic changes needed to address our housing challenges.”

The Housing Accelerator Fund is part of the Government of Canada’s National Housing Strategy (NHS), an $82+ billion plan to give more Canadians a place to call home. The Fund is designed to help cut red tape and fast track at least 100,000 permitted new homes over the first three years, which cities and regions estimate will lead to the creation of over 550,000 permitted new homes for people in towns, cities, and Indigenous communities across Canada over the next decade. It asks for innovative action plans from local governments, and once approved, provides upfront funding to ensure the timely building of new homes, as well as additional funds upon delivering results. Local governments are encouraged to think big and be bold in their approaches, which could include accelerating project timelines, allowing increased housing density, and encouraging affordable housing units.  

The City will continue to work cooperatively with senior levels of government to finance the construction of affordable housing.