February 18, 2022

THE HOUSING AFFORDABILITY REPORT

It’s no secret that the Ontario real estate market is in crisis mode. A fast-growing population, a lack of appropriate new construction, and low interest rates have all contributed to an affordability crisis across the province. This is no longer a Toronto and GTA issue. We are intimately familiar with this situation here in Guelph and the surrounding areas.

For many years now the various levels of government have either tried to support entry level buyers or cool the market with other forms of market interference. The effects have been short term at best, with the long term trend showing house prices increasing much faster than incomes.

The housing market has now caught the mainstream attention of politicians – as was evident in the past federal election – and you can be assured that this will be “The Issue” in the upcoming provincial and municipal elections.

The provincial government has created the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force, which released their recommendations and report this past week.

There are some interesting and bold recommendations within this report. The big audacious goal is to build 1.5 million new homes within the next 10 years within the province of Ontario.

Other key highlights:

More housing density across the province
End exclusionary municipal rules and zoning that blocks or delays new housing
Depoliticize the approval process
Prevent abuse of the housing appeals system
Financial support to municipalities that build more housing

The aim of the report is to make it easier for existing homeowners to add density to their property. The best example is the case of redeveloping some of the older homes on large lots in older neighbourhoods. People have been buying these homes and tearing them down to build massive ‘McMansion-style’ single family homes – meanwhile, the neighbours struggle to get approval for an in-law suite in their basement.

There is a lot of discussion around “as of right” development. This means that as a property owner I have the right to redevelop or improve my property without the need for municipal approval. Building permits would still be required, but the city would not be allowed to hold up my application because of zoning or exclusionary rules.

The goal of this is to eliminate and depoliticize NIMBY-ism. Too often, local politicians will succumb to a group of neighbours that loudly complain about any sort of development in their neighbourhoods.

The conversation we’re interested in is creating uniform provincial standards for urban design, setbacks and parking requirements. This change would certainly impact the City of Guelph. Most infill lots within the city are subject to architectural controls by the city. The city’s goal is to preserve the neighbourhood’s physical character, such as limiting the size of the house, allowing a garage, even down to the construction materials used. All of this, of course, adds additional cost and time to a project.

There are a total of 55 recommendations in this report that should hopefully open an honest and frank dialogue within our communities. If we truly want to address the issue of affordability in the local and provincial housing market, then we need to take a deep dive into some of these recommendations and look at making some difficult and fundamental changes to how housing is being created in this province.

If we don’t… we’ll be living the definition of insanity – repeating the same actions time and time again, while expecting a different outcome.

read the full 'Report of the Ontario Housing Affordability Task Force’