BUILDING DURHAM

The Region of Durham is in the process of updating their Regional Transit Development Charge Bylaw.  The current bylaw is set to expire on December 31, 2022, however council has authorized staff to have a new bylaw in place by July 1, 2022.

The background study will be released on April 12, 2022, followed by the statutory public meeting on April 27, 2022.

Deadline for comments on the background study is June 3, 2022 at 5 p.m.  

DRHBA will send the background study to members once it is released, and questions/comments can be sent to Stacey.

The City of Pickering has released the first draft of their Integrated Sustainable Design Standards (ISDS) Checklist.  According to staff, the draft ISDS Checklist represents a combination of best practices, green building technologies, green development standards from other GTHA municipalities and current Pickering Official Plan policies.

The ISDS Checklist is divided into tiers of performance criteria with Tier 1 being mandatory which is applied through the planning approval process and Tier 2 being voluntary.

The ISDS seeks to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, increase energy efficiency and improve overall sustainability by specifying minimum energy performance targets and sustainable design principles for new development.

Feedback can be provided to Stacey or by completing the questionnaire provided by the City.  The questionnaire will be open until April 1.

Spring is in the air and that means that a provincial election is just around the corner.

In preparation for the upcoming election and related campaigns, the Ontario Home Builders' Association has prepared two one-page documents for members that outline the rules/laws surrounding contributions to political parties and to third party advertising campaigns:

Political Contributions

Third Party Political Contributions and Advertising

Yesterday, the province’s Housing Affordability Task Force (HATF) released its final report and recommendations. The report proposes a number of new and bold initiatives that the provincial government can undertake to dramatically accelerate the supply and variety of housing in communities across Ontario while reducing and eliminating common bureaucratic barriers.

“The Housing Affordability Task Force Report proposes ambitious and much needed changes to Ontario’s land use planning framework that, if implemented, will help increase the supply and choice of housing across our province,” noted OHBA President Bob Schickedanz. “The report includes a number of policies that OHBA has long called for to make it faster to bring new housing to market, such as enabling the use of pay-on-demand surety bonds, supporting a corporate utility model for municipal infrastructure and other items that make it easier to build complete communities.”

In December 2021, OHBA met with the Task Force to propose supply side solutions aimed at addressing both immediate and long-term housing supply challenges, with measures to make it easier for members to deliver keys to awaiting individuals and families. OHBA strongly welcomes and supports several key components of the HATF report including properly staffing and resourcing the Ontario Land Tribunal; creating the skilled and unskilled labour force our sector needs; and addressing zoning and land use planning barriers that choke supply, all while reducing municipal fees, charges, and red tape to new housing. Combined, these measures are a significant step towards addressing real population growth pressures and long-term future needs so that more Ontario families can achieve the great Canadian dream of home ownership.

“These recommendations symbolize what OHBA and housing champions all over Ontario have been calling on for years,” said President Schickedanz. “With over two million more people calling Ontario home by 2031, we need to build at least one million homes to meet that demand. Implementing these initiatives is absolutely essential to reaching that objective.”

OHBA members across Ontario are poised and ready to build the housing supply Ontario needs to ensure that our province remains the very best place to live, work and play. OHBA thanks the Task Force members for their work to prepare the report and these bold initiatives. We call on housing champions everywhere to read the full report, become engaged, and perhaps most importantly, for the provincial government to implement these changes so we can work together to build the housing supply Ontario needs.