Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide input on Bill 17. While the intent to increase housing supply is understood and supported, the legislation in its current form does not sufficiently address the root issue: ensuring that people can build and buy homes they can actually afford to live and grow in.

1. Building Faster vs. Building Affordably

Speed alone will not make housing attainable. Without meaningful affordability targets or mechanisms to pass on cost savings to buyers and renters, the Bill risks accelerating approvals without improving access to housing. Development efficiency should go hand-in-hand with affordability and long-term livability.

2. Impact on Small and Rural Municipalities

Smaller communities face unique capacity challenges. Shortened approval timelines, reduced autonomy, and limits on cost-recovery tools place unsustainable pressure on local governments that already operate with minimal staff and resources. Growth can only succeed if municipalities are equipped and funded to support it responsibly.

3. Fiscal Sustainability

The proposed restrictions on development charges and municipal cost recovery threaten the financial stability of smaller municipalities. When growth does not pay for growth, the burden shifts to existing taxpayers — a situation that undermines fairness and community support for development.

4. Local Autonomy and Public Trust

Community engagement and Council oversight are essential for transparency and accountability in land-use decisions. Streamlining processes should not eliminate local input or erode residents’ confidence in how development decisions are made.

5. Environmental Resilience and Climate Risk

With climate change intensifying rainfall and extreme weather events, municipalities need more, not less, opportunity for environmental due diligence. Faster approvals that limit review periods or bypass conservation oversight increase the risk of flooding, erosion, and infrastructure failure — costs that ultimately fall on local taxpayers. Sustainable growth must integrate climate resilience as a core objective, not an afterthought.

6. A Balanced Path Forward

Ontario’s housing strategy should balance efficiency with equity and sustainability. The Province is urged to:

Support municipalities with realistic timelines and resourcing;

Maintain fair cost-recovery tools;

Integrate measurable affordability outcomes into approvals; and

Ensure that “building faster” truly means building communities people can afford — and safely live — in for generations.