Seeking Feedback on Housing…

Seeking Feedback on Housing Needs in Rural and Northern Municipalities - SUBMISSION FROM the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA)
ERO NUMBER 019-5287

The Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) is dedicated to strengthening Ontario’s rural municipal communities. As the rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO), ROMA advocates through AMO on rural matters to the provincial and federal governments on behalf of the 430 Ontario municipalities that are rural or have rural areas inside their borders.
 
The ROMA Board includes 10 zone representatives from all corners of the province, and at-large members, drawn from AMO Board’s Rural Caucus. Reflecting a broad cross-section of rural Ontario, the Board is prepared to address the challenges being faced by Ontario’s diverse rural communities.
 
The Rural Ontario Municipal Association believes it is time to paint a more accurate picture of Rural Ontario --- one that highlights the economic contributions that rural areas already make, the multiplicity of existing and potential linkages among rural areas and between urban and rural areas.
The new story also includes the many recovery, growth and resilience-building opportunities that the COVID-19 pandemic has revealed for Rural Ontario, and for the province as a whole. Rural Ontario has long been known for strengths in resource-based sectors, its nature-based and artisanal tourism, and its “blue collar” workforce. Those characteristics remain and will almost certainly be a key part of Rural Ontario’s economic and social appeal in a post-COVID world. What has been missed in recent decades however, is Rural Ontario’s continuing evolution into a network of vibrant --- and increasingly appealing --- places to live, work and play.
ROMA sees opportunity for Rural Ontario to grow its resource-based sectors, its tourism product and experiences, its education and training capabilities, the productivity of its diversified workforce, and the affordable, welcoming nature of its communities --- all as an integral part of the province we call home.
At the 2022 ROMA Annual General Meeting, the Board released Opportunities for Rural Ontario in Post-Covid World. This seminal policy paper developed to rethink strategies and solutions for the economic and social sustainability of post-COVID rural Ontario, identifies 23 recommendations under 5 key themes as a roadmap for rural Ontario to reach its full potential. ROMA is focusing on and advocates for:
Recognition of digital connectivity as essential infrastructure and expanding its utilization in both public and private sector organizations as well as at home.
A creative approach to addressing the impacts of Ontario’s housing affordability and availability challenges and providing the full spectrum of housing options including attainable housing and purpose built rental.
Enhancing growth and development planning for Rural Ontario, including revisions to the Provincial Policy Statement to open up growth opportunities beyond Rural Ontario’s settlement areas.
Addressing current and future labour force challenges --- including within the municipal sector itself, and increasing Rural Ontario’s share of immigrants to Canada and Ontario, and
Creating service delivery ecosystems that serve residents closer to home, taking pressure off sometimes beleaguered services and institutions in urban areas. A collaborative, provincial-municipal approach to improving access to services, including especially the challenges of long-term care, including reworking the provincial funding formulae that puts municipal finances at risk in a period of turbulence and uncertainty.
Need to Address “Full Spectrum” of Housing :
Good quality, reasonably-priced rental accommodation has long been in short supply in rural areas and COVID-19 has intensified the pressure to shift the balance between apartments and single-family dwellings. Responding to these pressures introduces development challenges related to servicing multi-unit buildings (ex. water and sewer services, parking requirements, mixed use zoning, accessory accommodations).
Residents on fixed (or low-incomes) may have difficulty paying the operating costs of their current homes as energy prices, insurance other similar costs rise. Many feel pressured to downsize or to move to rental accommodation… but have nowhere to go within their own community. The upswing in short-term rentals constrains supply further. Embracing new types of housing (ex. tiny homes) may be difficult for some municipalities even if they know there is demand. Without innovation in the housing market, many of these residents will be compelled to move to larger urban centres and out of the social or family networks that are the best antidote to loneliness or depression.
Most rural communities are challenged to provide sufficient affordable housing units to address ever-changing wait lists. Low-cost financing options may be unavailable if inflation and interest rates rise.
Finally, there is also a shortage of homes for families who want to live and work in Rural Ontario. Unless this issue is addressed, employers will continue to have difficulties attracting workers and the contribution of Rural Ontario to the social and economic life of the province will be constrained.
Re-imagine the Provincial Policy Statement
Permit development of residential, commercial and industrial properties outside of settlement areas without requiring a comprehensive review. The Statement acknowledges that “Ontario’s settlement areas vary significantly in terms of size, density, population, economic activity, diversity and intensity of land uses, service levels, and types of infrastructure available” and that “it is in the interest of all communities to use land and resources wisely…” (Section 1.1.3) However subsequent sections of the Statement are prescriptive on how best to address development pressures, including:
A strong emphasis on intensification and redevelopment within built-up areas, including provincial targets “representing the minimum target for affected areas” (those with targets established through provincial plans).
Focusing new development in designated growth areas (which may not exist in Rural Ontario) and linked to intensification and redevelopment targets.
An expectation of “timely provision of the infrastructure and public service facilities required to meet current and projected needs”.
Identification of a settlement area or expansion of a settlement area boundary “only at the time of a comprehensive review” and only when certain other conditions have been met.
From a Rural Ontario perspective, the “notwithstanding” clause (1.1.3.9) does not address the most challenging aspects of the Statement (intensification and redevelopment targets and servicing capacity). Preservation of prime agricultural areas, referenced in multiple sections of the Statement, is in the interest of Rural Ontario municipalities and ROMA fully supports inclusion of related references in the Provincial Policy Statement.
Broaden the permitted uses of rural lands to include a wider range of business types (beyond “home occupations and home industries” --- 1.1.5.2) including health and social services, education and training facilities, co-working facilities, professional services firms, light manufacturing or other non-agricultural production that could serve regional or provincial supply chains. These developments could make use of different types of infrastructure --- particularly servicing --- while still achieving the same goals of environmental protection and efficient investments

ROMA ATTAINABLE HOUSING TASK FORCE
Over the next few years, each of the themes identified in the Opportunities Paper will be considered in more detail with a view of developing evidence based solutions. The ROMA Board has identified that attainable housing has by far been the key priority for ROMA members. At its March Board meeting, ROMA established a Rural Attainable Housing Task Force to develop policy solutions and strategies that consider the realities of rural Ontario. Its focus will be: attainable housing and purpose built rentals, barriers to development (legislative, regulatory and policy) and strategies to incentive development.

ROMA began the Task Force by distributing a housing survey to its 430 municipalities in April 2022. Two hundred and forty-four (244) municipalities responded. The Task Force will be drilling down into the data over the next 2 months
ROMA’s consultations in 2021 confirmed that municipalities, economic development officials, sector-focused associations, and not-for-profit organizations are eager for a new, collaborative approach to fulfilling Rural Ontario’s potential.
ROMA sees many opportunities to navigate the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic in ways that will result in a stronger, more resilient Rural Ontario and therefore the province as a whole. In particular, ROMA has identified actions that can help to rebalance the demographic makeup of the Rural Ontario population, redesign policies to ensure that they fit the realities of Rural Ontario, and seize the opportunity to build greater economic resilience into the Ontario economy.
ROMA's position is simple: Rural Ontario: A Full Partner in Prosperity
ROMA encourages the government to consider the significance of Rural Ontario and its contributions to the health, wealth and vitality of the province. The results of the ROMA Attainable Housing Task Force, which will be evidence based, will provide opportunities for the provincial government to collaborate with rural municipalities with a view of obtaining attainable housing and purpose built rentals outside of the large urban municipalities.