ONTARIO, OCTOBER 23, 2023 – The announcement by Minister Calandra today is a setback for our industry’s collective efforts to deliver at least 1.5 million new homes over the next 10 years. The housing affordability crisis across Ontario has been driven by the lack of housing supply in the face of perennially strong demand in every corner of the province.
We believe the decisions made over the past few years to amend official plans and issue MZOs were – on balance – the correct land use and public policy decisions to meet the extraordinary challenge of meeting Ontario’s housing supply needs and restoring affordability. The process undertaken by all stakeholders was exhaustive – in some cases, it took up to 5 years – and involved comprehensive consultations at the municipal level and postings on the Environmental Registry of Ontario. We fear that the repercussions of this decision place regional and municipal decision-making into a state of uncertainty and paralysis, unnecessarily prolonging the addition of new homes, job creation, and continued economic growth throughout the next decade.
Over the next 45 days, OHBA and our local chapter members will work with municipalities to demonstrate that the correct planning justifications for the decisions were made. We believe undertaking this short-term review process will reveal that these decisions were appropriate and necessary for confronting the province’s housing crisis. Further delay will prevent badly needed supply from entering the marketplace, so we urge all stakeholders to recognize the urgency of this effort and to work quickly and cooperatively.
The Ontario Home Builders’ Association is the voice of the residential construction industry in Ontario, representing 4,000 member companies organized into 27 local associations across the province. The residential construction industry contributes over $80 billion to Ontario’s economy, employing more than 550,000 people across the province. OHBA and our members remain committed to working with the Province and our Municipal Partners to deliver the 1.5 million new homes that Ontario so desperately needs.
