To whom it may concern, I…

To whom it may concern,

I strongly urge you to allow municipalities to continue requiring and using all reports/studies needed to meet their Green Development Standards (GDS).

It is important for local governments to be able to protect their communities against pollution and climate change. Municipalities need to be able to request studies to ensure that builders are following their green building rules which make homes more sustainable, more resilient to extreme weather, and more affordable to heat and cool.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Thank you.