Affordable and attainable housing has been a key priority for our city. With housing costs continuing to rise, the city has been working to find innovative ways to both stimulate more development, while also investing in deeply affordable housing.
This week, city staff released a Housing Acceleration Plan, which aims to speed up housing development in Ottawa. The Plan focuses on streamlining approvals, deferring development charges, discontinuing Community Benefit Charges, supporting non-profit housing providers, and encouraging growth near transit and downtown.
While I support efforts to streamline approvals and reduce delays, I remain concerned that lowering fees may reduce City revenues that fund parks, recreation, and other amenities that make our neighbourhoods livable.
The Plan was debated and approved at Committee yesterday with several amendments, including an encouraging motion by my colleague Councillor Laine Johnson, which partially reinstated the Community Benefit Charge, which provides for direct investment in community.
As this moves to Council, I’ll be focused on balancing the need to accelerate housing with protecting affordability, sustainability, and community well-being.
You can review the full report and Housing Acceleration Plan on the City’s website here.
