We at Green Earth Village…

We at Green Earth Village welcome the opportunity to provide feedback on the proposed 2023 Provincial Planning Statement policies and look forward to working collaboratively to meet the Government of Ontario’s goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2032.

Following a series of land use and municipal governance changes, the Government of Ontario has recently published a proposal to create a single province-wide land use planning policy with policies adapted from the Provincial Policy Statement, 2020 (PPS) and A Place to Grow: Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (A Place to Grow) 2019.

Major changes are required to regulate the complex process to secure the necessary permissions to build housing in Ontario and meet the million new home goal. Green Earth Village and our and partners are highly supportive of the intent of Bill 109, Bill 232, and Bill 97 to address these challenges, and make Ontario the premier place to invest and develop.

Nevertheless, there are some changes and additions that could be made that will unlock developments for families to live in sooner. All the following proposals revolve around time to market, which is key for homebuilder and for reaching the 1.5 million goal.

1. Minister Zoning Orders (MZOs)
Green Earth Village supports the use of Minister Zoning Orders (MZO) to expedite development in Ontario. We support the proposed amendments to the Planning Act, introduced by the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act, 2023, most specifically to:

Exempt lands which are subject of Minister Zoning Orders from having to comply with provincial policies and official plans where other approvals have been applied for, similar to the current provisions regarding Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator Orders.

While MZOs have traditionally been used by the provincial government in emergency situations, or to quickly advance a major initiative of provincial significance, the current iteration will not in itself empower the Province of Ontario to meet their target of building 1.5 million homes by 2032. In short there is room for MZO’s to go further.

We support creating more provincial facilitators, allowing MZO’s to override other planning documents, eliminating the overly prescriptive Growth Plan and restoring the right of appeal on an interim control by-law.

2. Lands Need Assessment
The Lands Needs Assessment provides a situational analysis of potential population scenarios for Ontario. However, the challenges associated with attempting to make projections related to economic activity and population dynamics over the kinds of timescales which the Lands Need Assessment attempts to cover are virtually insurmountable, and delay construction and building in Ontario, hampering our ability to achieve the 1.5 million goal.

Green Earth Village supports allowing a settlement boundary expansion without the need for a Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR).

The Land Needs Assessment methodology previously became a 10-year exercise and needlessly delayed providing land for needed housing. With the proposed change, land can be brought online in a shorter time period – getting the Government of Ontario to their goal of building 1.5 million homes by 2023.

3. Water and Sewer Services
Bringing on more housing supply necessitates water and sewer services. Green Earth Village strongly supported Schedule 10 of the Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, to fast track serving approvals in the York and Durham Region.
Green Earth Village supports the proposed provision in the Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act to reduce duplication in planning for water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure and encouraging municipalities to plan for the energy needs of growing communities – however, there needs to be more tenable interim servicing solutions and greater acceptance of those proposed solutions.
We encourage the Government of Ontario to consider something similar to Schedule 10 for the remainder of the Province, otherwise there will be a delay in bringing housing to market quickly.

Viable options include the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) allowing municipalities to permit interim servicing solutions to bridge gap while larger regional pipes get permitted, constructed, and commissioned. There are many proven technologies that could be employed on an interim basis. MECP working in tandem with MMAH would have to encourage or mandate their usage and would only be of benefit to reaching the 1.5 million goal.

4. Prioritizing Sustainability
The Provincial Policy Statement should explicitly give priority to sustainable communities for planning approvals and servicing – ones that use significantly less energy, reduce water consumption, reduce waste, and produce a near zero carbon footprint.

By transforming our communities with zero-carbon green buildings, we can put Ontario on a path to a more sustainable future and incentivize builders to proactively work toward changes introduced in the 2025 and 2030 National Research Council’s (NRC) Building Code in relation to energy standards.

Conclusion

In closing, we would like to thank you for the opportunity to comment on the Provincial Planning Statement. Green Earth Village and our partners look forward to working with you and the Ontario government to achieve its housing targets under a province-wide land use planning policy document that safeguards both short and long-term economic growth, resilience, and sustainability across Ontario.