I strongly encourage the…

I strongly encourage the Minister and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to amend the intended policy direction.

I am a very strong proponent of drastically increasing housing supply in Ontario, and returning to more affordable conditions. Ontario's sprawl-oriented A Place to Grow and Provincial Policy Statement is at odds with both of these stated provincial goals.

Single-family, detached housing on large lots, absent density requirements, facilitate the highest up-front cost housing, with the highest lifecycle infrastructure costs, demanding an escalating tax burden to ensure roads, pipes and other assets meet service standards.

At the same time, continually expanding urban boundaries and building into the greenbelt fundamentally fail to value the ecosystem services undeveloped land provides, such as stormwater storage at a time when Ontario is experiencing intensifying rainfall events that overwhelm older infrastructure. To avoid large-scale, costly infrastructure replacements, we have to use the benefits nature provides, rather than pave over it.

Ontario's step to upzone all lots to allow 3 units was an excellent step in the right direction, as were modifications to Ottawa's official plan to increase permissible story size on main routes. I implore the province to move further in this direction. Gentle density is the most cost-efficient means to build out the housing Ontario needs, while expansion of sprawling suburban development is the least.