July 29, 2020 Honourable…

July 29, 2020
Honourable Steve Clark
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
777 Bay Street, Suite 2304
Toronto, ON M7A 2J8

Re: Environmental Registry of Ontario Postings 019-1679 & 019-1980
Proposed Land Needs Assessment Methodology and Proposed Amendment 1
A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe

The Remington Group would like to take this opportunity to thank the Ontario Government for their continued efforts in addressing the Province’s housing crisis through the momentous More Homes, More Choice Act. The recently proposed provincial policy changes to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019), namely Proposed Amendment 1 and changes to the Land Needs Assessment Methodology, further demonstrate the Ontario Government’s leadership and commitment to increasing housing supply and choice.

Combined, the policy changes put forward under Proposed Amendment 1 and the revised Land Needs Assessment Methodology will ensure that municipalities plan for an appropriate supply of land to accommodate population and job growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Most notably, the proposed changes to the Land Needs Assessment Methodology, which would require municipalities to recognize the need for a market supportive supply of housing choice when analysing the amount of land required to support growth, will ensure that enough land is set aside for desirable housing typologies and that the supply of these units are not constrained. Additionally, the extension of the population and employment minimum targets out to 2051 not only better aligns with the land supply requirements contained in the Provincial Policy Statement (2020) as well as infrastructure and transportation planning horizons, it also reflects realistic expectations of approval timelines. It is crucial that municipalities are evaluating their land supply needs in the context of an appropriate planning horizon that is based on how quickly homes can be built so that population and employment growth are not constrained by land supply.

In summary, The Remington Group fully supports the proposed changes to A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (2019) that acknowledge the importance of including market-based analysis in the determination of required land supply as well as the extension of the population and employment minimum targets out to 2051. We applaud the Ontario Government for their efforts to remove constraints on housing choice and welcome Proposed Amendment 1 and the changes to the Land Needs Assessment Methodology. Together, we can build strong communities, delivering jobs, housing supply and choice.

Sincerely,

Christopher Bratty
President

Cc: Sandra Bickford, Director, Partnerships and Consultation, Ontario Growth Secretariat at Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing