Question 1: What are the…

Question 1: What are the biggest barriers and delays to diversifying the types of housing built in existing neighbourhoods?

The people with the money to buy new homes outside large urban centres have a strong preference for one-storey ground-oriented dwellings. The market works to supply this preference.

As a result many homebuilders can fill their production schedules with single-detached dwellings and townhomes, and occasional apartment buildings with elevators. Changes to permit as-of-right additional units in homes are however starting to see some uptake.

While Additional Residential Units can offer increased supply, they are only one of several forms of needed housing, and they may not always be available: Owners may be deterred by the risks and responsibilities associated with being a landlord.

Some communities do not have adequate water/sewer infrastructure to accommodate higher density development.

Rural land supplies are less dynamic, with fewer total parcels available for development, and fewer dwelling types that developers are familiar with. Some landowners are not prepared to develop their urban lands; other developers can control supply of shovel-ready land, and only sell lots for products that they want to build and sell.

Question 2: What further changes to the planning and development process would you suggest to make it easier to support gentle density and build missing middle housing and multigenerational housing, in Ontario?

Offer Municipalities resources they need to implement legislative changes that have already been made. Policy changes to provincial legislation, such as Additional Residential Unit Policies, require implementation through Upper Tier and Local Official Plans and Local Zoning By-laws. Municipal Modernization grants have been helpful thus far in building efficiencies, cost alignment, and workflow management capacity.

With a high pace of change, including potential for increasing intensification opportunities, developers may also defer some middle-density projects if there is a reasonable possibility of higher densities being possible in the near future.

We would observe that the province has removed 3rd-party appeal rights for Plans of Subdivision, however appeal rights remain for land division by consent. Both consents and plans of subdivisions must meet official plan and zoning criteria.

Question 3: Are you aware of innovative approaches to land use planning and community building from other jurisdictions that would help increase the supply of missing middle and multigenerational housing?

Municipalities, community organizations, and the broader community could benefit from resources to help them become more comfortable with different land tenure structures such as land-lease, life-lease, cooperative housing, and different condominium forms.
Bruce County is working to deliver an Affordable Housing 101 toolkit focused on marketing opportunities to be part of the housing supply solution to developers and homeowners.

Question 4: Are there any other changes that would help support opportunities for missing middle and multigenerational housing?

Fund the infrastructure needed for partially-serviced communities to ‘finish the job’ and accommodate higher densities of development.