Ontario Proposing New Legislation to Allow Cities to Expand Boundaries for Housing

Thursday, 6 April 2023 16:39

By Linda Morgan

Housing Minister Steve Clark says proposed bill would help the province meet its target of 1.5 million new homes by 2031

The province has introduced a bill that would allow municipalities to expand settlement boundaries quicker, in order to make way for more housing.

Housing Minister Steve Clark says the "Helping Homebuyers, Protecting Tenants Act" would also allow farmers to build three new lots on their land.

If passed, the legislation would require 29 municipalities to plan for growth near transit stations and downtown areas.

Other proposed changes include the following:

A $6.5 million investment to appoint 40 more adjudicators and hire five staff to deal with active applications and decision timeframes at the Landlord and Tenant Board
Expanding deposit insurance for First Home Savings Accounts at credit unions and looking into a cooling-off or cancellation period on purchases of newly built freehold homes
Freezing 74 provincial fees, including several related to Tribunals Ontario and the Building Code

The proposed changes are part of the province's goal of building over a million homes by 2031.

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