October 3, 2025 Newsletter

At this week's joint meeting of the Planning and Housing Committee and Finance and Corporate Services Committee, I voted in favour of the City’s Housing Acceleration Plan, a major component of Ottawa's Housing Action Plan, but with important caveats to protect the community amenities that make our neighbourhoods livable.

Supporting this plan is necessary as we face a genuine housing crisis. The crisis stems from a structural imbalance between supply and demand and has been exacerbated by high construction costs, lengthy approval processes increasing carrying costs for developers, labour challenges and interest rates which have increased financing costs for both builders and buyers. 

With home prices up 55 per cent since 2019 and average rents for two-bedroom apartments reaching $2,490, many Ottawa residents are struggling to find affordable housing. Housing starts have declined by nearly a third, hitting their lowest level since 2016. Action is urgently needed, and the Housing Action Plan represents a comprehensive effort to address these challenges through 53 specific actions.

Beyond fee modifications, the Housing Action Plan includes important process improvements that should meaningfully accelerate housing approvals. The expansion of site plan control exemptions beyond the current 10-unit threshold, forester-approved streamlined tree conservation guidelines, and the introduction of pre-approved building designs for additional residential units will reduce approval timelines by months. These changes address real barriers that have frustrated residents waiting for housing. I'm particularly supportive of the new risk-based approach to technical requirements, which will allow City staff to focus resources on genuinely complex projects rather than applying the same intensive review to straightforward developments. However, we must ensure this flexibility doesn't compromise safety or essential infrastructure capacity.

The plan's focus on affordable housing and transit-oriented development aligns with our ward's needs. The commitment to create a 10-year roadmap for City-owned lands, combined with fee waivers for non-profit affordable housing providers, should help Ottawa Community Housing deliver more units. The “missing middle” accelerator program could finally bring more townhouses and low-rise apartments, the types of family-friendly housing our communities desperately need. These targeted measures recognize that different types of housing require different approaches, rather than the one-size-fits-all policies that have hindered development in the past.

However, I could not support the complete elimination of Community Benefit Charges (CBCs) as originally proposed. These charges fund the parks, recreation centres, and community facilities that make our neighbourhoods more than just collections of buildings; they create genuine communities where families can thrive. That's why I supported and was happy that Council adopted a modified approach that reduces CBCs from 4 per cent to 2 per cent of land value generally, with a further reduction to 1 per cent in Major Transit Station Areas.

This balanced approach provides meaningful relief to developers while preserving approximately $2.4-$3.2 million annually for community infrastructure, funds that would have been completely lost under the original proposal. While this still represents an $18-24 million reduction over five years, it ensures we can continue building at least some of the amenities our growing communities desperately need.

I also pressed staff at Committee to provide accurate analysis of the budgetary impacts from deferring development charges for 18 months. These charges fund critical infrastructure like roads, water systems, and transit. While deferring collection from building permit to occupancy may help developer cash flow to encourage construction which has presently slowed due to macroeconomic conditions, it creates a significant gap in infrastructure funding for the City that could delay essential services for new residents. While the City has committed to make the referral of development charges conditional, based upon funding offsets from higher orders of government, we still need clear answers about how this gap will be managed and what it means for municipal taxpayers.

My support for this plan is contingent on the expectation of rigorous accountability. The City has proposed offering substantial financial incentives to the development industry. We must ensure these translate into actual housing production, not just improved profit margins. I asked staff for comprehensive reporting concerning the potential gaps in development charge revenue.  They noted that they expect to provide a comprehensive analysis by May 2026.  Council will also expect continued regular reporting on housing starts, affordability metrics, and infrastructure delivery through a measurement framework to ensure we're achieving real results.  

Wateridge Village in our ward exemplifies why this balance matters. Residents there have been waiting years for promised community facilities. We cannot sacrifice the amenities that make neighborhoods livable in our rush to build housing. We need both: homes for people to live in and the community infrastructure that enhances quality of life.

Moving forward, I'll continue advocating for housing solutions that work for everyone, accelerating necessary development while protecting the community investments that make Ottawa a great place to live. The next step in this process will be when Council considers its new comprehensive Zoning Bylaw which will align with the City’s New Official Plan. My office will continue to work with residents and community associations to reflect their concerns and will issue a position paper on the Zoning Bylaw by the end of October.