LAND USE APPROVAL PROCESS NEEDS REFORM
Minister’s zoning orders (MZOs) are getting a bad rap in the media these days. However, they remain a necessary tool because the development approvals process in some municipalities is much too slow. Projects can get stalled due to duplicative red tape or a bureaucratic logjam. Oftentimes, MZOs are simply the only way for a project to be moved forward. Municipalities themselves have asked the province to step in and issue an MZO. Toronto, for example, sought one to speed up construction of two...
read moreWHY DOES TORONTO HAVE THE MOST CONSTRUCTION CRANES IN NORTH AMERICA BUT 65,000 EMPTY UNITS?
Toronto has more construction cranes than any city in North America with roughly two thirds of them working on condos. Why do we have so many and why are we building so many condos? In Toronto, You Have to Build up Individual landowners hiring out contractors to build their dream houses aside, most housing is built by developers looking to make a profit. From a financial prospective, condos are one of the most cost effective things to build. You can’t build a suburban subdivision in downtown...
read moreREAL ESTATE PRICES IN CANADA WILL GO UP WITH SOCIAL HOUSING INITIATIVES SAYS ECONOMIST
While advocacy group ACORN is asking the City Of Toronto to use Inclusionary Zoning (IZ) to push for more social housing, economists from a Montreal think tank are arguing against the implementation of such measures in municipalities across Canada, citing soaring real estate prices. A report by ACORN published June 19 called Inclusionary Zoning In Toronto is advocating for the City Of Toronto to utilize IZs to mandate new condo developments set aside at least 20 to 30 per cent of their units...
read moreAFFORDABLE HOUSING POLICY MISSES THE MARK, SAYS BILD
Increased costs to purchasers and a decreased new housing supply due to “market distortions” could be the result of a City of Toronto’s flawed approach to inclusionary zoning, says the Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) in a new report released earlier this week. Inclusionary zoning is a planning tool that allows municipalities to require builders and developers to devote a certain percentage of new residential units within a given project to be set aside for affordable...
read moreCOMMISSION RECOMMENDS AGAINST RENT CONTROL, URGES $25 MILLION IN SPENDING TO START SOLVING AFFORDABLE HOUSING CRISIS
The group tasked with identifying solutions to Nova Scotia’s affordable housing crisis has recommended the government immediately spend at least $25 million to start to turn things around. And if all of its recommendations are followed, the long-term outcome will be better than rental control, the group argued. The Nova Scotia Affordable Housing Commission was struck in November, co-chaired by Ren Thomas, a Dalhousie University planning professor, and Eiryn Devereaux, deputy minister of the...
read moreWHY HOUSING AFFORDABILITY WILL CONTINUE TO DECLINE IN CANADA
In the turmoil of 2020, a crucial issue — housing affordability in cities such as Toronto and Vancouver — has fallen somewhat off the radar. But the fundamental problem remains. Housing supply growth is failing to keep pace with housing demand. This interpretation of the facts shouldn’t be controversial. Yet it is. Why? Because some analysts focus on “supply side” factors such as how much housing is being built while others focus more on demand. Curiously, no matter how much “supply” advocates...
read moreRENTAL HOUSING ZONING COULD CAUSE SOME LAND VALUES TO DROP BY UP TO 30%: CITY OF VANCOUVER
There is little doubt that Vancouver is in need of additional rental housing as one of the measures to improve housing affordability. As a result of COVID-19, the previously hot rental housing market has somewhat softened from reduced migration and the lower number of international students. It is important to note that these supply and rent conditions are temporary and there continues to be a demand for new supply, now and over the long term. New projects approved during the current economic...
read moreINCLUSIONARY ZONING IN THE CITY OF TORONTO – WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
The City of Toronto is moving forward with proposed inclusionary zoning policies which have been released in draft form for public consultation. The purpose of inclusionary zoning is to increase the supply of affordable housing for low to moderate income households by establishing policies and by-laws to require a certain percentage of new development to contain affordable housing. The City’s proposed policies would be implemented within strong and moderate market areas that are limited...
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