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Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone

On March 30, the Ontario Government announced Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act, 2022, outlining the next suite of concrete actions the Province is taking to address Ontario’s housing crisis.
 
OPPI President, Paul Lowes, participated in a stakeholder briefing on Wednesday to understand the technical elements of the Bill, and OPPI staff are currently working alongside our government relations firm, StrategyCorp, on a response through the Bill's consultation period.
 
PLANNING-RELATED ITEMS IN BILL 109
  • The Planning Act will be amended to delegate approval of Site Plan applications to municipal staff, extend the timeline for approval from 30-60 days, and mandate refunds ranging from 25-50% of application fee if not approved within 60 days. 
  • The Province will propose what can be required as a condition of draft approval for subdivision plans and give municipalities a one-time discretionary authority to reinstate draft approved plans of subdivision that have lapsed within the past five years without a new application to streamline decision-making. 
  • The Province will require municipalities to partially refund zoning by-law amendment fees if they fail to make a decision on an application within 90 days (or 120 days if the decision is concurrent with an official plan amendment application). 
  • The Province will speed up approvals for housing and community infrastructure, like hospitals and community centres, while increasing transparency and accountability through a new Community Infrastructure and Housing Accelerator (CIHA) which will include public notice and consultation requirements. 
  • The Province will provide $19 million in funding over three years to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) to support faster case resolution, hiring more staff and adjudicators, and doubling the capacity for the use of expert land use planning mediators. Additionally, Planning Act changes will be implemented to depoliticize planning decisions. 
  • The Province will introduce modest changes that increase public reporting, public consultations, and by-law renewals that will apply to the use of Development Charges or Community Benefit Charges.

RESOURCES AND FURTHER READING