Municipalities will have the power to force developers to build affordable housing under new legislation introduced at Queen’s Park Wednesday, May 18, 2016.
The Promoting Affordable Housing Act will allow municipalities to implement “inclusionary zoning,” which would mandate affordable units be included in residential properties.
Inclusionary zoning is used in the United States and the United Kingdom as a way to boost affordable housing units.
The framework under consideration would let municipalities offer incentives, such as reducing parking requirements and waiving fees, to make the developments more profitable.
Ana Bailao, Toronto’s Housing Advocate, said in a news release that the legislation is a good step, but the city needs to host its own consultations along with the provincial plan to consult on the policy.
“We look forward to working with all stakeholders to ensure inclusionary zoning delivers real results for people in need of affordable homes,” she said. “However, it is important to remember that inclusionary zoning will not solve Toronto’s housing crisis on its own.”
The legislation does contemplate other measures. Among them would be measures to make it less costly to build second apartments into new homes by waiving development charges on those units.
The provincial government has set aside $178 million over three years to implement the updated affordable housing strategy.
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