Ontario affordable housing plan puts more pressure on municipalities, Kingston politicians say

The Ford government aims to make housing more affordable in the province, but its new strategy also puts extra pressure on municipalities according to politicians in Kingston, Ont.

The Ford government is laying out a path to make housing more affordable in Ontario, but the new strategy also puts extra pressure on municipalities to speed up approvals say officials in Kingston.

As the Riverview subdivision in Kingston East continues to take shape, the Ontario government has tabled legislation aimed at boosting the province’s housing supply, which is proving to be a problem.

“All along our message has been that all levels of government need to be engaged on the housing issue,” says Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson.

“I think there are things that industry needs to do, things that the province needs to do. The municipalities, we’ve always been willing to come to the table and to change and do what we can.”

Whether measures to streamline the approval process for subdivisions and multi-unit residential buildings will help is still up in the air.

One thing Paterson says he does know: the city is currently doing its part.

“Here in Kingston we’ve been able to double the amount of new housing construction,” Paterson says. “What this legislation does is it gives us even more tools to be able to use to fast-track development, to create more affordable housing.”

“Certainly, as a city, we’re going to work with these tools and do what we can do. But we’re also encouraging the province to look at their processes and find ways to be able to reduce those timelines as well.”