This consultation was open from:
March 30, 2022
to April 29, 2022
Decision summary
The government has issued a guideline for the “community infrastructure and housing accelerator” tool under the Planning Act. The guideline governs how and where this tool may be used.
Decision details
Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022 was passed by the Legislature and received Royal Assent on April 14, 2022. The Bill made changes to the Planning Act to create a new Minister’s order authority known as the “community infrastructure and housing accelerator” tool. This authority gives the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing the power to make orders to respond to municipal requests for expedited zoning outside of the Greenbelt Area.
The Planning Act requires the Minister to establish guidelines governing how community infrastructure and housing accelerator orders may be made.
Following consultation on the draft guideline, the government has finalized the guideline for the community infrastructure and housing accelerator tool. The final guideline:
- sets out where the tool may be used
- provides an overview of the tool’s key features
- identifies the types of development that may benefit from the tool
- provides considerations for subsequent approvals and conditions
- reflects the recognition and affirmation of Aboriginal and treaty rights
Effects of consultation
The government received feedback on this proposal through this ERO posting as well as through the related ERO notices on Bill 109. The government also received feedback on the community infrastructure and housing accelerator tool and draft guideline through meetings with municipalities, stakeholders and Indigenous communities.
Summary of Comments:
The government heard a range of comments on the community infrastructure and housing accelerator tool. Some comments expressed support for a tool that could help expedite zoning for priority developments. Others identified concerns that:
- community infrastructure and housing accelerator orders would not have to align with provincial and local land use policies, and
- consultation requirements would differ from a rezoning.
On the draft guideline, the government received a range of comments and recommendations, including requests to:
- provide additional information in certain areas and clarification on how the tool would be used, such as:
- public consultation and notice requirements
- Indigenous engagement
- subsequent approvals and conditions
- municipal submission/request requirements, and
- timelines for provincial review of municipal requests.
- specify more areas where community infrastructure and housing accelerator orders cannot be used
- require community infrastructure and housing accelerator orders to align with the provision and timing of municipal servicing infrastructure, and
- require lower-tier municipalities to consult with upper-tier municipalities.
Effects of the Consultation on this Decision:
In finalizing the guideline, the government considered all comments received.
The guideline was amended to clarify that subsequent approvals must still be obtained even if an order provides that provincial and local land use policies do not apply.
In addition to the guideline, a new webpage on the community infrastructure and housing accelerator provides more information on the steps involved in requesting an order. It also identifies best practices for municipalities to consider, including identifying certain information and materials that municipalities are encouraged to provide when making a request for an order and clarifying that municipalities are expected to engage with Indigenous communities and consider their interests prior to making a request for an order.
The changes to the guideline and the new webpage are intended to provide more clarity for certain aspects of the tool in response to the comments received and to support a more transparent process.
Supporting materials
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Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
Connect with us
Contact
PlanningConsultation@ontario.ca
Original proposal
Proposal details
Ontario is the best place to live, start a business and raise a family – but we can only build on our success if all Ontarians and their families are able to find a home that’s right for them. The province’s housing policies are working to get more homes built faster, but too many Ontarians still struggle to find a home. We are introducing More Homes for Everyone, that proposes targeted policies for the immediate term that make housing fairer for hard-working Ontarians and make it faster to build the homes that families need and deserve.
Addressing the housing supply crisis is a long-term strategy that requires long-term commitment and co-ordination from all levels of government.
The Task Force report is our long-term housing roadmap. Similar to Ontario’s approach with regular Red Tape Reduction bills, the province is committed to implementing the Task Force’s recommendations with a housing supply action plan every year over four years, starting in 2022-2023, with policies and tools that support multi-generational homes and missing middle housing.
Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator
As part of More Homes for Everyone, Schedule 5 of Bill 109 proposes to make changes to the Planning Act. The proposed amendments, if passed, would establish a new Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool and would require the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing to publish guidelines for the use of the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool before it could be used.
Once the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator guidelines have been published, the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool would enable local municipalities to request a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator order to regulate the use of land and the location, use, height, size and spacing of buildings and structures to permit certain types of development. The Minister may impose conditions on the issuance of a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator order that must be addressed before the zoning can come into effect. The proposed Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool also has municipal requirements for matters like public consultation, public notice and making the order available to the public.
Under the proposed legislation the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool would not be available for use in the Greenbelt Area. Protecting the Greenbelt remains a key priority, and the government has recently launched the next phase in its consultation on Growing the Greenbelt.
The Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator Guideline may include matters such as:
- the types of priority developments a Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator order could be used for (e.g., community infrastructure, housing, including affordable housing);
- where the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator order may or may not be used (e.g., certain geographically defined areas); and,
- other matters related to the use of the Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool.
The proposed legislation provides more detail on the proposed Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator tool. The Proposed Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator Guideline and proposed legislation and can be viewed using the links identified below.
Supporting materials
View materials in person
Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.
Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.
Comment
Commenting is now closed.
This consultation was open from March 30, 2022
to April 29, 2022
Comments received
Through the registry
25By email
15By mail
0