I strongly urge you to allow…

I strongly urge you to allow municipalities to continue requiring and using all reports/studies needed to meet their Green Development Standards (GDS). Municipalities are using GDS to improve health and safety in new homes, lower the energy bills of residents, reduce infrastructure costs, prevent municipal property taxes from increasing, lower demand on our energy systems, and cut emissions. Bill 17 would negatively impact municipalities’ ability to implement GDS, limiting their capacity to ensure that new development is built quickly, is energy-efficient, weather-proof, and affordable over the long term. GDS reduce red tape and standardize planning processes, resulting in long-term predictability that housing developers need to succeed. GDS consolidate preexisting sustainability-related planning requirements into a single document with clear expectations. As a result, GDS accelerate rather than slow housing development. Based on the Ontario municipalities benchmarked by the Canadian Home Builders' Association (CHBA), all of the cities with a GDS have made progress in accelerating approval timelines, while all of the cities without a GDS have seen timelines get slower.

Regulations related to Bill 17 must be in compliance with other powers and authorities granted to municipalities to avoid confusion and delays for future developments. The province must respect municipalities’ responsibilities as outlined in the Planning Act and the Provincial Planning Statement. These include the protection of public health and safety, the economic well-being of the province and municipalities, the minimization of waste, and the promotion of sustainable development. Meeting these responsibilities requires that municipalities are able to implement GDS which necessitates studies from builders to ensure they are meeting the standards. Please maintain municipal authorities, including the ability to require necessary reports, to ensure that new development delivers on health, safety, resiliency, and long-term affordability for Ontarians while reducing red tape.

Kind Regards