BUILDING DURHAM

At a special meeting of Regional Council on June 14, 2023, council voted 26-1 in favour of approving the new development charge bylaw.

The Durham Region Home Builders' Association, in partnership with BILD, have been working with Daryl Keleher (formerly of Altus Group) and Julie Bottos of SCS Consulting to review the DC background study and provide commentary.  Despite the consultants' feedback to Regional staff, the quantum remained unchanged when it went before council.  

DRHBA sent correspondence to council ahead of the meeting and received this response from the Region.

At the meeting, Regional Councillors Leahy and Yamada brought forward an amendment to provide a freeze on development charges for two years specifically for industrial sites greater than 100,000 sq. ft.  That amendment was defeated 23-3.

During discussion, Regional Councillor Nicholson expressed a desire to create separate categories for condo units and purpose-built rental units.  He believes that the private sector needs to be incentivized to build purpose-built units for low-to-medium income residents. 

Regional Chair Henry asked staff if the Region was the first to go through a DC update since the new provincial legislation, and staff said yes, with the exception of a few smaller municipalities.  Chair Henry also asked if other regions/municipalities will be seeing the increased costs and staff said they would.

Regional Councillor Chapman asked for a recorded vote, and the motion to approve won 26-1, with Regional Councillor Jubb voting against.

DRHBA and BILD, along with our consultants, will be hosting a meeting with interested members on June 21, 2023 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. to gauge interest and discuss a possible appeal.  If you are interested in attending this meeting, please contact Stacey.

In November, the Durham Region Home Builders' Association will be hosting their Annual General Meeting and electing their board of directors for the 2023-2025 term. 

The following positions are available for election:

• Six (6) Builder/Renovator directors
• Two (2) Trade Contractor directors
• One (1) Supplier directors
• Two (2) Professional directors

Elected directors will serve a two year term.

DRHBA's top priority is advocacy work for the building industry as a whole.  We also provide networking opportunities and great events for our members.  We are looking for individuals who are willing to share their time, knowledge and experience to further the interests of the building community.  We believe that each director brings a unique skill set and perspective to the table.

Directors will be required to attend four board meetings per year (November, February, May and September), and will be asked to join one of our committees.  We ask that you share your time and expertise, whether that means managing a GR file, speaking at a public meeting or helping to plan one of our gala events. 

As a director, you will be representing the Durham Region Home Builders' Association.  You will be expected to attend most of our events, including member events, seminars, the Awards of Excellence, President's Ball and golf tournament.

Being on the Durham Region Home Builders' Association's board of directors is a great way to help shape the industry, steer the direction of the Association, network, get more involved and stay informed on what's going on in the building world.

If you are interested in becoming a director, please forward your nomination form to Stacey at s.hawkins@drhba.com by Wednesday, August 16, 2023.  All forms will be forwarded to the nominations committee for review.  If there are more qualified applicants than positions available, an election will be held at the Annual General Meeting in November.  Qualified candidates are encouraged to provide a bio and photograph to be published in an upcoming news bulletin.

If you have any questions, please contact Stacey at 905-579-8080 ext. 2 or s.hawkins@drhba.com.

Download nomination form.

The Region of Durham released the Recommended Official Plan  earlier this year and received feedback from interested stakeholders and the public.  

Recommendations on the New Regional Official Plan will be brought to a Special Meeting of Regional Council on May 17, 2023 at 9:30 a.m.

Regional staff are recommending that Regional Council adopt the final draft ROP and direct staff to forward the new ROP to the province for approval.

If you have any comments, please direct them to Stacey to be included in DRHBA's correspondence to the Region.

Last month, the Region of Durham has released its Development Charge Background Study, which contained a substantial increase to the current charges (average of 100% increase - depending on housing type).

DRHBA and BILD hired Altus Group to review the background study.  On May 2, our correspondence was submitted to the Region.

DRHBA and BILD have also retained SCS Consulting to review the water, sewer and roads component of the new DC bylaw.

If you have any comments, questions or concerns, please contact Stacey.

On Thursday, May 18, 2023, Report SF-23-18 - Proposed Policy Options for the Residential Rental Housing Licensing Program and Other Rental Housing Regulatory Considerations will be brought to Oshawa's Safety and Facilities Services Committee.

Last year, DRHBA submitted correspondence to the City of Oshawa based on members' comments.

The Safety and Facilities Services Committee will be considering four policy options related to the Residential Rental Housing Licensing (RRHL) Program and other rental housing regulatory considerations.

DRHBA is currently collecting feedback from members to form a submission to the City.  Please send your comments to Stacey.

The Municipality of Clarington Building Division will be hosting a Builder/Developers Workshop May 26th, 9:30 am, at The Garnet B. Rickard Recreation Complex.
2440 Highway 2, Bowmanville, ON L1C 0K6
Map this Location

Agenda Includes a Discussion On:

·         The New Planning & Infrastructure Department

·         OBC Amendments

·         Permit Fee Review Update

·         Housing Pledge

·         More Homes Built Faster Act, 2022

·         Ontario Regulation 73/23 - Municipal Planning Data Reporting

·         Update on Secondary Plans

·         Active Transportation and Wayfinding Master Plan

·         Road Needs Study

·         Economic Development

A Continental Breakfast Will Be Provided Please RSVP by May 5th to 

buildingpermits@clarington.net

At the April 3, 2023 Oshawa Council meeting, Council voted in favour of Report – CF-23-18- Community Benefit Charge Strategy Feedback (All Wards).  By passing this report, Oshawa has approved their Community Benefit Charge (CBA) with an effective date of May 1, 2023.

The City of Oshawa’s Community Benefit Charge Strategy was outlined in Report CF-23-02 Community Benefit Charge Strategy. 

The CBC Strategy, prepared by Watson & Associates, showed that Oshawa anticipates collecting approximately $392,000 over the next 10-year period.  The charge will be applied as follows:

• 2 bedroom + - $147.00
• Bachelor and 1 bedroom - $90.00

The Regional Municipality of Durham has scheduled a Special Meeting of Durham Regional Council to consider adoption of the recommended final draft of the Regional Official Plan (ROP).  The new ROP is the culmination of work completed through Envision Durham, the Municipal Comprehensive Review (MCR) of Durham's existing ROP.

Materials to be considered at the Special Meeting, including the recommended final draft ROP, will be available to the public no later than May 3 at durham.ca/EnvisionDurham.  

This special meeting is open to the public and is being held to discuss the final revisions addressed through Envision Durham.  The ROP addresses a wide variety of strategic land use planning and development matters.  It also represents the Region's provincially mandated exercise to ensure that the ROP conforms with Provincial Plans or does not conflict with them; has regard to matters of provincial interest; and is consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement.  This special meeting is a follow-up to the Public Open House and Public Meeting held in March 2023 for the draft new ROP.  The draft new ROP was released on February 10 with a consultation period that concluded on April 3.

It is anticipated that a decision on the recommended final draft ROP will take place at this Special Meeting of Council.  Once adopted by Regional Council, the adopted ROP will be submitted to the Minister of Municipal Affairs for approval under Sections 17 and 26 of the Planning Act, RSO 1990.

The meeting will be held on May 17, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. in Council Chambers at Durham Region Headquarters (605 Rossland Road East in Whitby).  Participants may also view the meeting remotely at durham.ca/live.

If you wish to make a delegation before Council, please submit your request in writing to delegations@durham.ca by noon on Monday, May 15, 2023.

In accordance with a Council resolution in May 2022, the City of Pickering is updating its Tree Protection Bylaw to provide greater protection to more trees in Pickering. At this time, the City’s Tree Protection By-law only covers trees within “Environmentally Sensitive Areas,” identified as the Tree Protection Area in Schedule A of By-law 6108/03.  

As a result, trees within Shorelines and Stream Corridors, Wetlands Oak Ridges Moraine Area and Environmentally Significant Areas measuring 25 millimetres (approximately 1 inch) or greater are regulated. The City’s current Tree Protection By-law Screening Areas cover approximately 38% of the total land area of the City. This leaves approximately 62% of the City’s land area outside of the Tree Protection By-law Screening Areas that are not protected.

The tree canopy and urban forest improve air quality by intercepting and absorbing airborne pollutants. Trees also reduce local air temperature due to the shading effects and in turn lower temperatures within the City and reduce the urban heat island effect. A few other benefits associated with protecting trees are to decrease the volume of storm water run-off and soil erosion, and they contribute to the visual appearance and character of a place.

As part of this project, the City would like to engage with a wide range of stakeholders to better understand how well the current Tree Protection By-law is working, what their experiences have been in applying the current by-law, and to receive feedback on how to improve the by-law. This is an important opportunity for communities, organizations, businesses and professionals to discuss protecting the City’s tree canopy and urban forest.

You are invited to join their Virtual Meeting on Thursday April 13^th from 6:00 pm to 7:30pm. 

For more information on the City’s Tree Protection By-law and a number of upcoming engagement opportunities provided during Earth Month, please visit the project website at: letstalkpickering.ca/trees.

An on-line survey is also active on the project website from April 3rd – 30th, 2023 to garner more feedback.

On Thursday, April 6, 2023, the provincial government introduced Bill 97: Helping Homebuyers and Protecting Tenants Act. 

A portion of the Act focuses on helping tenants and landlords.  Here are some highlights of the Helping Tenants and Landlords section of the Act:

Clearing the Landlord and Tenant Backlog

• Adding an additional $6.5 million to appoint 40 additional full-time adjudicators (more than doubling the current number) to improve service standards for landlords and tenants and reduce active applications and decision timeframes.
• Reviewing the current processes to find operational efficiencies.
• Exploring ways to expand hearing hours and scheduling flexibility.
• Providing adjudicators with enhanced training to support efficient file and hearing management.
• Modernizing the Tribunals Ontario Case Management System

Access to Air Conditioning

The provincial government is proposing to clarify and enhance tenants' rights to install window or portable air conditioning in their units.  Included in this proposal is:

• Landlords would be prohibited from refusing to allow tenants to install air conditioning units in their apartments, providing the following conditions are met:

1. Renters would have to notify their landlord in writing that they intend to install an air conditioner.
2. The air conditioner would have to be installed safely and securely without causing damage.
3. Installation would have to comply with any applicable laws, including municipal bylaws, and any prescribed rules.
4. Tenants would be responsible for any costs associated with the installation.
5. Renters would be required to inform their landlord about their air conditioner's energy efficiency and how much they anticipate using it.
6. If the landlord pays for electricity, they would be allowed to charge a seasonal fee based on the actual electricity cost or an estimate based on the information provided by the tenant.

Reinforcing Rules Against Evictions

The provincial government is proposing to tighten the rules surrounding evicting a tenant in order to perform renovations.  Under the Act, landlords would be required to provide:

• A report from a qualified person (to be defined in future regulation) stating that the unit must be vacant for renovations to take place and an estimated completion date.
• Updates on the status of the renovations in writing where the tenant has indicated their intention to return to the unit when renovations are complete and give them a 60-day grace period to move back in after the renovations are complete.

The province is also extending the period of time that tenants can apply to the LTB for a remedy if the landlord doesn't allow the tenant to move back in at the same rent once renovations are complete to two years after moving out or six months after renovations are complete - whichever is longer.

Eviction Protections

The Act is also proposing to further strengthen protections for tenants who may be facing eviction because the landlord or their family member wants to move in.  When evicting a tenant to use the unit themselves or for their family, landlords or their family members would be required to move into the unit by a specific deadline, to be defined in a future regulation.

Doubling Fines Under the RTA

The government is also proposing to double the maximum fines for offences under the Residential Tenancies Act (RTA), such as bad faith evictions.

• Individuals - from $50,000 to $100,000
• Corporations - from $250,000 to $500,000

Ontario's fines for residential tenancy offences are the highest in Canada.

Rent Arrears Repayment Agreement

Tenants may enter into a repayment agreement with their landlord to pay the rent they owe and avoid eviction when they are in arrears of rent.  To make it easier for both tenants and landlords, the Act is proposing to require the use of the LTB's plain language repayment agreement form.  This form helps landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities and the rental rules that apply should the agreement be breached.