This week, municipalities throughout Ontario can begin applying for support through the newly launched Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction program, and the City of Oshawa is eager to present a range of projects aimed at “accelerating” housing construction and infrastructure development within the city.
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter described the program as a “bold and cooperative approach” to address Canada’s housing supply and affordability challenges.
Carter emphasized that this announcement reflects a “shared commitment” among all three levels of government to enhance housing availability and affordability. “The City of Oshawa has been, and will continue to be, dedicated to speeding up housing and infrastructure development to improve housing affordability and foster economic growth.”
The departing Oshawa mayor highlighted that the city has a “long-standing” history of supporting fast-tracked housing construction through reductions in development charges and streamlined permitting processes. Since 2004, Oshawa has waived or maintained zero development charges for new housing developments in the Downtown Urban Growth Centre. Furthermore, from 2010 to 2020, development charges were waived for all new residential projects within the Simcoe Street North Corridor.
“Oshawa is prepared to get shovels in the ground,” Carter stated, mentioning growing communities like Kedron and Columbus that are set to accommodate 46,000 residents near Highway 407. Additionally, there are currently 1,600 residential units under development downtown along with another 2,800 units city-wide that could potentially be constructed within two years, “with appropriate funding,” he added.
“Oshawa remains a committed partner in this initiative and looks forward to ongoing collaboration with both federal and provincial governments to build more homes, strengthen Durham Region communities, and develop a more resilient economy for Canada and Ontario.”
Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter
The program was initially announced on March 30 and will provide funding from both upper levels of government over ten years for essential housing-enabling infrastructure projects. Funding will be prioritized for municipalities that reduce development charges by between 30 percent to over 50 percent while maintaining those reductions for at least three years.
“With up to $8.8 billion available from provincial and federal sources, this investment will accelerate housing construction while also helping municipalities deliver crucial infrastructure needed for growing communities,” said Ontario Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy.
Home builders welcomed the announcement warmly; BILD CEO Dave Wilkes referred to it as an “historic initiative” that gives municipalities a chance to swiftly boost their housing supply.
“Reducing development charges will help overcome economic viability issues that have hindered housing development across the GTA recently. Through this initiative, municipalities can work alongside industry partners to expedite shovel-ready communities while ensuring that building continues providing good jobs as an engine of economic growth.”
The application window lasts less than three weeks with June 19 as the deadline.
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