On behalf of the Ontario…

On behalf of the Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA), we would like to thank you and your Ministry for your public commitment to reducing red tape in the housing industry and getting more affordable homes built faster. As you know, OREA supports nearly 100,000 REALTORS® in helping Ontarians find a great place to call home – but regulatory red tape is making it difficult to get more homes built. With Bill 185, Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act, Ontario’s sixth piece of housing legislation since 2018, the province will make significant progress on important policy solutions.

Alongside several legislative proposals arising from Bill 185, OREA is pleased to see that your Ministry wants to modernize public notice requirements. This would allow municipalities to provide notices of public meetings related to Ontario’s Planning Act, 1990 through the municipalities’ website, instead of only by mail and/or newspaper. Given that traditional communication methods may not reach the eyes of enough readers, a modernized approach will make it easier for local citizens to come together and express their views to decision-makers.

In addition to improving community engagement, and as recommended by Ontario’s Housing Affordability Taskforce, this proposal also seeks to limit appeal rights for official plans, official plan amendments, zoning by-laws, and zoning by-law amendments. This will help municipalities reach their housing targets much faster, as well as reduce unnecessary building costs arising from a lengthy approvals process. OREA’s most recent housing report, Analysis of Ontario’s Efforts to Boost Housing Supply, emphasizes that perpetual appeals mean a perpetual housing crisis – something we are working very hard to prevent. OREA recommends that you and your Ministry take this proposal a step further by helping to ensure that anti-housing advocates, i.e., NIMBYs, are not able to abuse a legitimate appeals process to delay much-needed housing supply. The Government ought to go further and punish those who misuse the system by allowing the Ontario Land Tribunal to award punitive damages if a municipality refuses an application simply to avoid accountability.

We appreciate the work that you and your Ministry are doing to streamline planning approvals and increase housing supply across Ontario. Thank you for the opportunity to participate in this consultation process – together, we can help fulfill the dream of homeownership for many hard-working Ontarians.

Sincerely,

Tim Hudak
CEO, Ontario Real Estate Association