3K 
Ontario's Housing Affordability Task Force has published its report of expert recommendations for measures to increase the supply of market housing to address our deepening housing crisis. The Task Force is part of an ongoing three-part consultation with industry, municipalities, and the public to help the provincial government identify and implement solutions to increase housing supply.
Upon the report's release, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing issued a statement. “Everyone has a role to play in addressing the housing supply crisis. As our government consults with municipalities, the public, and industry leaders and experts, we are balancing these perspectives to develop practical, forward-thinking policies that unlock and fast-track all types of housing for all types of Ontarians.”
The Task Force report’s recommendations cover five main areas to quickly increase the supply of market housing, to meet a goal of adding 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years:
- Make changes to planning policies and zoning to allow for greater density and increase the variety of housing.
- Reduce and streamline urban design rules to lower costs of development.
- Depoliticize the approvals process to address NIMBYism and cut red tape to speed up housing.
- Prevent abuse of the appeal process and address the backlog at the Ontario Land Tribunal by prioritizing cases that increase housing.
- Align efforts between all levels of government to incentivize more housing.
Additionally, the Task Force’s report makes other recommendations to increase housing supply over the long-term, including digitizing and modernizing the approvals and planning process, growing the skilled labour workforce, and encouraging new pathways to home ownership.
Jake Lawrence, Chair of the Housing Affordability Task Force and Chief Executive Officer and Group Head, Global Banking and Markets at Scotiabank also spoke to the report, saying “Lengthy reviews, bureaucratic red tape, and costly appeals are making it too difficult to build new housing. We propose an ambitious and achievable goal to build 1.5 million homes over the next ten years and the steps needed to get there.”
Multiple groups and bodies that work closely with the housing sector have commented on the news, including the Toronto Regional Board of Trade, the Toronto Regional Real Estate Board, the Residential Construction Council of Ontario, the Ontario Real Estate Association, and the Building Industry and Land Development Association, amongst others. All groups have expressed general support of the 55 new recommendations. Their comments can be read at the links above.
Craig Ruttan, Policy Director, Housing, at the Toronto Region Board of Trade stated “Ending exclusionary zoning, paired with the report’s other recommendations to make building missing middle housing easier, will help address Ontario’s housing affordability crisis. Implementing the task force’s recommendations would allow more individuals and families to be able to live and work in Ontario’s major cities, leading to a stronger and more prosperous Ontario.”
Jason Sheldon, BILD's Chair and Executive Vice President, Land Development, Remington Group commented "The Greater Toronto Area's housing supply and affordability crisis is a generational challenge with broad-ranging social and economic impacts. The task force recommendations will practically address the root causes of the current housing supply imbalance and deserve careful and serious consideration."
Similar sentiments were echoed by the other associations noted above.
* * *
UrbanToronto’s new data research service, UrbanToronto Pro, offers comprehensive information on construction projects in the Greater Toronto Area—from proposal right through to completion stages. In addition, our subscription newsletter, New Development Insider, drops in your mailbox daily to help you track projects through the planning process.
