Joint Finance and Corporate Services and Planning and Housing Committee

Minutes

Meeting #:
3
Date:
Time:
-
Location:
Andrew S. Haydon Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West, and by electronic participation
Present:
  • Chair: Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, 
  • Chair: Councillor Jeff Leiper, 
  • Vice-Chair: Councillor Catherine Kitts, 
  • Vice-Chair: Councillor Glen Gower, 
  • Councillor Riley Brockington, 
  • Councillor David Brown, 
  • Councillor Cathy Curry, 
  • Councillor Laura Dudas, 
  • Councillor Laine Johnson, 
  • Councillor Theresa Kavanagh, 
  • Councillor Clarke Kelly, 
  • Councillor Rawlson King, 
  • Councillor Matt Luloff, 
  • Councillor Wilson Lo, 
  • Councillor Shawn Menard, 
  • Councillor Tim Tierney, 
  • and Councillor Ariel Troster 

1.
Notices and meeting information for meeting participants and the public

This item has attachments. 
1.Public Notices English - Hybrid Standing Committee.pdf
2.Public Notices French - Hybrid Standing Committee.pdf

Notices and meeting information are attached to the agenda and minutes, including: availability of simultaneous interpretation and accessibility accommodations; in camera meeting procedures; information items not subject to discussion; personal information disclaimer for correspondents and public speakers; notices regarding minutes; and hybrid participation details.


Accessible formats and communication supports are available, upon request.


Except where otherwise indicated, reports requiring Council consideration will be presented to Council on Wednesday, October 8, 2025 in Joint Finance and Corporate Services and Planning and Housing Committee Report 3.


The deadline to register by phone to speak, or submit written comments or visual presentations is 4 pm on Monday, September 29, 2025, and the deadline to register to speak by email is 8:30 am on Wednesday, October 1, 2025.

These “Summary Minutes” indicate the disposition of items and actions taken at the meeting. This document does not include all of the text that will be included in the full Minutes, such as the record of written and oral submissions. Recorded votes and dissents contained in the Summary Minutes are draft until the full Minutes of the meeting are confirmed by the Committee. The draft of the full Minutes (for confirmation) will be published with the agenda for the next regular Committee meeting and, once confirmed, will replace this document.

2.
Declarations of Interest

 

No Declarations of Interest were filed.

3.
Strategic Initiatives Department

 

3.1
Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan 

This item has attachments. 
1.ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002 - Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan.pdf
2.Document 1 (EN).pdf
3.Document 1 (FR).pdf
4.Document 2 (EN) - Revised.pdf
5.Document 2 (FR) - Revised.pdf

File No. ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002 - City-wide

Staff provided an overview of the report and recommendations, and a copy of the slide presentation is filed with the Office of the City Clerk.

Staff in attendance to present and answer questions, included:

  • Wendy Stephanson, City Manager
  • Debbie Stewart, General Manager, Strategic Initiatives
  • Will McDonald, Director, Strategic Projects Office, Strategic Initiatives
  • Marcia Wallace, General Manager, Planning, Development and Building Services
  • Caitlin Salter MacDonald, City Clerk
  • Dan Chenier, General Manager, Recreation, Cultural and Facility Services
  • Tammy Rose, General Manager, Infrastructure and Water Services
  • Isabelle Jasmin, Deputy City Treasurer Corporate Finance
  • Stuart Huxley, City Solicitor, Legal Services

The Committee then heard from the following public delegations:

  1. Tara Dinsmore, Canada Lands Company
  2. Dean Tester, testerdigital
  3. Melissa Cote, Taggart
  4. Murray Chown, Novatech
  5. Aidan Kallioinen, Carleton University Students' Association
  6. Chike Agbasi and Paul Czan, OREB
  7. Kaite Burkholder Harris, Alliance to End Homelessness
  8. John Dickie, Eastern Ontario Landowners Organization
  9. Jason Burggraaf, GOHBA
  10. Cliff Youdale, Ottawa Community Housing
  11. Mark MacAuley, Salus
  12. Catherine Boucher, Dalhousie Community Association
  13. Miguel Tremblay, Fotenn
  14. Brandon Bay, Make Housing Affordable

Following discussions and questions of staff, the Joint Committee carried the report recommendations as amended by Motions Nos. FCS-PHC 2025 03-01 – 09 including a direction to staff from Chair Leiper.

Councillor Menard dissented on recommendation 3 a, b and c as amended.

Direction to Staff (Councillor J. Leiper)

That staff undertake engagement with the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA) once this matter is considered by Council on implementation of the Housing Acceleration Plan.

  • Report recommendation(s)

    That the joint Finance and Corporate Services and Planning and Housing Committee recommend Council:

    1. Receive the Housing Innovation Task Force’s report, attached as Document 1, for information. 
    2. Approve the Housing Acceleration Plan, attached as Document 2, and described in this report.
    3. Approve the following recommendations to enable the implementation of the Housing Acceleration Plan:
      1. Suspend the use of the Community Benefits Charges By-law No 2022-307 for five (5) years from application approval to support housing starts.
      2. Authorize staff to return the funds collected to date under the Community Benefits Charge By-law 
      3. Direct Staff that the payment of municipal development charges is due by the issuance of the first occupancy permit, limited to residential occupancies. 
      4. Direct staff to review options to extend exemptions currently in place for developments of up to 10 units and report back to Planning and Housing Committee with proposed recommendations to amend the Site Plan Control By-law No. 2014-256, as described in this report.
      5. Defer the Building Code fee scheduled increases specific to Residential Occupancies, to be included in the 2026 Draft Operating Budget.
      6. Direct staff in the Planning, Development and Building Services, to amend the criteria for eligibility under the Reimbursement Program for Development-Related Fees for Charitable or Non-Profit Organizations, to include site plan planning and building permit fees for non-profit affordable housing projects, and delegate the implementation of these fee waivers to staff.
      7. Direct staff to review and implement pre-set building designs, developed and in use by others in Ontario, to allow for expedited building permits. 
      8. Update the Parkland First Policy, Delegation of Authority By-law and Parkland Dedication By-law to transfer authority from Recreation, Cultural and Facilities Services Department to the Planning, Development and Building Services Department to reflect staff changes and authorities outlined in this report.   
      9. Under section 3 (4) of By-law 2022-280 (Parkland Dedication) Council will waive the requirement for parkland dedication for a period of 18 months for “Office building conversion to residential apartments” and “small or adaptive developments”.
      10. Despite section 3 (5) and 4 (3) of Bylaw 2022-280 (Parkland Dedication) Council will temporarily allow for the collection of Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland changes at occupancy, for 18-months, rather than building permit or subdivision approval. 
      11. Despite section 4 (4), Table 1, of Bylaw 2022-280 (Parkland Dedication) Council will temporarily allow Cash-in-Lieu of Parkland charges to be reduced to 5 per cent for 18-months for all projects less than 20 units in plans of subdivision prior to 2001 within the greenbelt.
      12. Undertake a review of the delegated authority and Terms of Reference for the Committee of Adjustment and report back to Council by Q4, 2026
      13. Develop a strategy to undertake a comprehensive review of Secondary Plans and report back to Council by end of Q1 2026
      14. Undertake a comprehensive review of the Urban Design guidelines and report back to Council by end of Q4 2026
      15. Undertake a review of the Development Application Study Policy (Information and Materials for Planning Applications (By-Law No. 2023-297) and report back to Council by end of Q1 2026
    4. Direct the Mayor, on behalf of the City of Ottawa, write letters to the Federal and Provincial governments, the Prime Minister and the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and the Premier and the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, to share a copy of this report and highlight the calls for support identified for both levels of government as outlined, including: sustainable and predictable funding for infrastructure, affordable housing, and transit, the transfer of land at no or low cost for residential development, improved environmental approval timelines, the removal of all interprovincial labour mobility restrictions, increased options for developing a local workforce of skilled trades
    5. Direct staff to continue to engage the Housing Innovation Task Force throughout the implementation of the Housing Acceleration Plan. 
    6. Direct staff to report back on progress, assess the comprehensiveness of the Housing Acceleration Plan against current conditions, and propose updates as needed by May 2026. 

    Carried with Councillor Menard dissenting on recommendation 3 a, b and c as amended

    Carried as amended
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-01
    Moved byL. Johnson

    WHEREAS Community Benefit Charges (CBCs) are a relatively new mechanism, having been introduced in 2022 to replace former Section 37 density bonusing provisions of the Planning Act; and

    WHEREAS the intention of leveraging CBCs was to ensure that sufficient public value was captured when 10 or more residential units were created at a height of 5 or more storeys, thereby improving social permissibility of increased density; and

    WHEREAS in Ottawa, CBCs are charged at 4% of the value of the land; and

    WHEREAS the Housing Innovation Task Force recommended a five-year suspension of Community Benefits Charges, as outlined in Document 1 of the Housing Task Force and Housing Acceleration Plan Report ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002; and

    WHEREAS Community Benefits Charges pay for improvements in neighbourhoods such as community facilities, traffic calming, public realm enhancements and more; and

    WHEREAS many older neighbourhoods in Ottawa do not have up-to-date amenities that are common in newer communities; and

    WHEREAS increased housing and population density will put pressure on amenities in existing communities; and

    WHEREAS increasing populations will require improving, updating, and building new amenities to support those communities; and

    WHEREAS if Community Benefits Charges are not available, other City funds will be required to implement community improvements.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, Action 21 be amended to read as follows:

    Reduce Community Benefit Charges (CBCs) from 4% to 2% of the land value cost for a period of 5 years from the date of application approval. Within Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs), CBCs shall be further reduced to 1% of land value cost. Funds that have already been collected shall be recalculated to 2% (or 1% within MTSAs) with remaining funds to be returned to the applicant.

    Projects already approved shall be eligible for a discounted rate until either December 31, 2028 or 5 years from when the proponent received approval, whichever is later.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Community Benefit Charges By-law be amended as soon as practicable to bring these changes into force; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the intake for discount-eligible projects shall sunset on December 31, 2028, meaning that projects approved after that date will be ineligible for the discount; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff report back to Council on a revised capital project list by the end of Q4 2025; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to provide information to Council in Q4 2026 assessing the efficacy of the CBC discounted rate, offering Council the opportunity to review or amend the policy and overall CBC strategy.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-02
    Moved byM. Sutcliffe

    WHEREAS Canada is in a housing crisis that is largely linked to a lack of supply relative to demand; and

    WHEREAS the Housing Innovation Task Force identified costs imposed by the municipality as a major barrier to housing development; and

    WHEREAS development charges are a major component of those costs; and

    WHEREAS development charges are particularly prohibitive on developing certain typologies of housing, such as rooming houses, where development charges are levied on a per-room basis; and

    WHEREAS cutting development charges would spur housing development, but without commensurate matching funds from higher orders of government, may lead to a significant infrastructure deficit; and

    WHEREAS the City of Ottawa’s development charges and other fees on development are generally lower than those of many other peer municipalities, including those who have recently lowered their development charges; and

    WHEREAS the federal government has committed to reducing development charges while making municipalities whole in the process; and

    WHEREAS on June 26, the Region of Peel cut development charges due to commitments from Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack to leverage the Building Ontario Fund to offset revenues lost from the development charge reduction; and

    WHEREAS the Province, through Bill 17, has granted municipalities permission to reduce development charges for any reason without updating relevant background studies; and

    WHEREAS the federal government’s Build Canada Homes agency seeks to leverage public lands for housing, particularly affordable housing; and

    WHEREAS due to the amount of federal lands within the city, Ottawa is particularly well placed to explore this opportunity;

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Report Recommendation 3c in the Housing Innovation Task Force and Housing Acceleration Plan Report ASC2025-SI-SPO-002, and Action 22 in Document 2, be amended to read as follows:

    Direct Staff that the payment of municipal development charge is due by the issuance of the first occupancy permit, limited to residential occupancies, and on an interest-free basis for 18 -months or until the Provincial Bill 17 regulations are implemented, whichever occurs first.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that City staff be directed to bring forward a Report to Council with recommended amendments to reduce development charges if the City receives funding from higher orders of government, up to a 100% elimination on development charges; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that any reduction in Development Charges be conditional on a funding commitment equivalent to the reduction from higher orders of government so that the municipality remains fully whole with no reduction of investment into items on the City’s Development Charge Background Study; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to work directly with the Mayor’s Office to engage with Federal and Provincial partners on the above resolutions.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-03
    Moved byJ. Leiper

    WHEREAS multiple recommended action items, including action items 29, 38, 42 and others, in Report ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002 authorize staff to commence planning, preparation and other work in connection with readying municipal and other properties for the construction of housing; and

    WHEREAS the action items do not refer to specific properties that would be the subject of these actions; and

    WHEREAS it is in the public interest to ensure that there is transparency that the City is planning for and preparing sites for residential development.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOVLED that the local ward councillor be made fully aware and consulted when properties that are the subject of actions, such as those contemplated in action 29, 38, 42 and similar preparatory actions contained in the Housing Acceleration Plan are undertaken.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-04
    Moved byL. Johnson

    WHEREAS the development industry has requested a five-year suspension of Community Benefits Charges; and

    WHEREAS the Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan (ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002) has recommended Council suspend the use of the Community Benefits Charge By-Law for 5 years direct staff to return funds collected to date and these policies come into effect immediately upon adoption by Council; and

    WHEREAS the Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan (ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002) recommends Council direct staff defer the Building Code fee increases specific to Residential Occupancies, to be included in the 2026 Draft Operating Budget; and

    WHEREAS the Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan (ACS2025-SI-SPO-0002) recommends that staff be directed to report back on progress by May 2026; and

    WHEREAS staff have been working with Bloomberg Associates and a sub-group of the Task Force to explore what makes a housing project financially viable through the creation of an Ottawa-specific model that will allow for testing scenarios, based on housing typology

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that staff provide information on the Bloomberg methodology to Council by end of Q4 2025, with more fulsome reporting on the effectiveness of the financial measures in May 2026 at the time of reporting back to Council on implementation and that staff provide the full results and measurement framework for the Housing Acceleration Plan concurrent to the report back in May 2026.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a report detailing the performance of each metric against the measurement framework be brought back for deliberation at a Joint Meeting of Finance and Corporate Services and Planning and Housing Committee in Q2 2027.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-05
    Moved byC. Curry

    Moved on behalf of Councillor M. Carr.

    WHEREAS Ottawa is in a housing affordability crisis; and

    WHEREAS one of the core objectives of the Housing Acceleration Plan is to consolidate and strengthen capacity for affordable (including supportive) housing development, including through the strategic use of public lands; and

    WHERAS another objective seeks to unlock urban intensification and transit-oriented development; and

    WHEREAS the City has previously assessed its inventory of public lands to determine which lands are the ideal candidates for this kind of development; and

    WHEREAS by focusing on a shorter list of sites with short- and medium-term potential, design and site preparation can be advanced more quickly; and

    WHEREAS accelerating the development of public lands is extremely beneficial to the affordable housing sector and well within the municipal remit; and

    WHEREAS acting quickly may position Ottawa to benefit from early rounds of project funding from the federal government’s Build Canada Homes agency.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, as part of the implementation of Action Item 29 of the Housing Acceleration Plan, staff be directed to expedite the work to identify additional municipally-owned parcels in the next phase of the Municipal Land Strategy, in consultation with the Mayor’s Office, that are suitable for affordable housing development, including supportive housing, or for mixed-use, mixed-income developments that include affordable housing; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff also identify any associated funding opportunities and provide an assessment of site-specific constraints to ensure the viability of the proposed parcels for development; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the identified parcels be prioritized based on the availability of servicing infrastructure, location within appropriate transects (with a preference for sites inside the Greenbelt), proximity to existing or planned transit service, and alignment with the Official Plan and applicable secondary plans; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a shortlist of candidate parcels identified through the next round of the Municipal Land Strategy be brought forward to Council for information no later than the end of Q4 2025.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-06
    Moved byM. Sutcliffe

    WHEREAS if Ottawa is to become a more housing-friendly City, the City government must play a stronger role in catalyzing affordable housing development; and

    WHEREAS key objective 4 of the Housing Acceleration Plan seeks to “consolidate and strengthen capacity for Affordable Housing development;” and

    WHEREAS a Council strategic priority is “a city that has affordable housing and is more liveable for all;” and

    WHEREAS the matters contemplated through the Housing Innovation Task Force Report and Housing Acceleration Plan will significantly strengthen Ottawa’s approach to enabling affordability, attainability, and accessibility in the housing sector; and

    WHEREAS more can be done to ensure that affordable housing development is properly prioritized.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, as part of Housing Acceleration Plan action Item 37, in Document 2 of the Report, staff be directed to review the City's Official Plan and related policies to ensure there are no unintended barriers to affordable housing; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, if unintended barriers are identified, staff return to Council with suggested amendments to strengthen the availability of affordable housing.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the appropriate City housing dashboards be updated to provide readily available information pertaining to the affordable housing sector, considering inclusion of data sets such as:

    • The stock of affordable units, including a breakdown based on the number of bedrooms associated with those units
    • The number of affordable units created from all public sources
    • The amount of investment into affordable housing from all public sources
    • The timelines associated with affordable housing development
    • The current dollar amount that is deemed “affordable”
    • Centralized waitlist length and estimated average wait time
    • The overall state and health of the affordable housing sector

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this information be updated regularly to ensure that housing affordability is transparently tracked and fully prioritized.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-07
    Moved byM. Sutcliffe

    WHEREAS the recommendations of the Housing Innovation Task Force, the Housing Acceleration Plan, and ongoing initiatives of the City of Ottawa (including the new Zoning By-law) when combined represent Ottawa’s Housing Action Plan; and

    WHEREAS this plan may well be the most ambitious housing plan ever advanced by a Canadian municipality; and

    WHEREAS residents deserve to be fully informed about the full spectrum of effort being undertaken by this term of Council to address the housing crisis; and

    WHEREAS Ottawa’s professional City staff do their utmost to make sure new homes are safe, that they fit within their communities, and that any development prioritizes the public over developers; and

    WHEREAS notwithstanding the dedication and professionalism of Ottawa City staff, the staff report responding to the Housing Innovation Task Force recommendations establishes that a change in culture is necessary to address the housing crisis; and

    WHEREAS Ottawa is counting on City staff’s skills and experience to help address the housing crisis; and

    WHEREAS City staff would benefit from the clear support and encouragement of Council as they undertake a cultural change respecting housing; and

    WHEREAS the City Manager has assigned the accountability to the General Manager of Planning, Development and Building Services, as the executive sponsor, responsible for advancing this goal.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Ottawa City Council officially declare its intention to become a more housing-friendly City; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Manager of Planning, Development, and Building Services ensure that every effort is made to accomplish this goal; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLEVD that the General Manager of Planning, Development, and Building Services is provided with support to work across departments to accomplish this goal; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that when new employees are onboarded, they are given as part of their orientation training a briefing on what their role is with respect to advancing service excellence and accomplishing this goal; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the General Manager of Planning, Development, and Building Services report back to Council on the City’s progress in evolving the development approvals process and culture; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to refine and enhance the Housing Approval Dashboard where appropriate to compare Ottawa’s progress toward becoming a more housing-friendly city against a benchmark of the City’s 2024 performance on key performance indicators; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to create a landing page and communications products that promote Ottawa’s Housing Action Plan so that employees and the public can be made aware of the City’s strategic direction on housing and track the City’s progress.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-08
    Moved byM. Sutcliffe

    WHEREAS Objective 5 of the Housing Acceleration Plan seeks to “Unlock Urban Intensification and Transit Oriented Development,” particularly through “rebalancing uses in downtown, particularly the central business district, by enabling more residential;” and

    WHEREAS Action 40 of the Plan directs staff to “Recommend regulatory changes and financial incentives to support downtown revitalization, including through more residential developments downtown and in the Central Business District (CBD);” and

    WHEREAS a report titled “A Living Capital: Investing in Downtown Ottawa for a Dynamic Future” created by the Canadian Urban Institute and presented by the Ottawa Board of Trade, sets out clear actions to improve the downtown, stressing that “Ottawa is not viable without a culturally dynamic, safe and economically vibrant downtown;” and

    WHEREAS the ByWard Market has experienced significant positive changes in recent years, though significantly more work is yet to be done to fully revitalize the Market ahead of its 200th anniversary; and

    WHEREAS direction from Council may help staff consider a range of ideas to help drive improved urban intensification and revitalization.

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that as part of the City’s Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan, staff develop a comprehensive downtown revitalization toolkit to enable a vibrant downtown economy; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that this toolkit explore and consider the following actions:

    • That the office-to-residential conversion incentive program be extended beyond the pilot program set to expire in November 2025, and included conversions to such other uses as hotel, commercial, cultural, entertainment or institutional.
    • The development of a process to review and approve conversions with consideration given to expedited permitting, technical support, and any other measures that would more quickly bring existing vacant or converted buildings into use.
    • The implementation of a Municipal Service Corporation model as currently being explored by the Province, Local Improvement Charges, or other financial instruments that would enable development charges to be spread over time or rolled into taxes or levies.
    • An expansion of the Centretown Façade Improvement Grant Pilot Program or similar type program focused on public realm enhancements (such as lighting, signage, accessibility upgrades, patios, greenery, etc.) to the broader downtown transect, including the ByWard Market, in support of the 200th Anniversary.
    • Any other relevant measures or actions.

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that in developing this toolkit, City staff work with Councillors representing wards in the downtown area to engage in consultations with local communities to ensure that the toolkit is well-designed to meet local needs; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff report back to Council on a proposal for the toolkit as part of the Economic Development Strategy and Action Plan reporting in Q1 2026.

    Carried
  • Amendment:
    Motion No. FCSC-PHC2025-03-09
    Moved byM. Sutcliffe

    WHEREAS the cost of rental housing in Ottawa has increased by 27.3% since 2019; and

    WHEREAS over that same period, house prices have increased by roughly 50%; and

    WHEREAS in the case of seniors, income and availability of housing can combine to limit seniors’ ability downsize or otherwise move to housing that can more appropriate match their needs and lifestyles; and

    WHEREAS in addition to not meeting the needs of seniors, this lack of housing mobility contributes to inefficient supply allocation, reduced economic activity, and an unbalanced market; and

    WHEREAS the population of Ontarians who are 80 years of age or older is expected to double in Ontario over the next 15 years; and

    WHEREAS Ottawa is expected to grow at a faster rate than most of the rest of the province, including with respect to its population of seniors; and

    WHEREAS this segment of the population often requires more accessibility features than standard housing units provide and this needs to be taken into consideration when building; and

    WHEREAS the City’s Official Plan identifies housing needs, including retirement homes and long-term care facilities and the final draft of the new Zoning By-law recommends intensification in urban centers and transit hubs, to allow for greater height and unit count;

    THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that, the City continue to focus on seniors as a priority group in the updated 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan 2025-2035; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff be directed to work with the Housing and Homelessness Leadership Table to address low-income seniors’ housing needs in the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan workplan; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff report back to Council on seniors’ specific metrics (as available) as part of the annual 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan progress report; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that staff engage with senior levels of government to outline needs for low-income seniors housing including new development, housing benefits and other ancillary housing stability supports; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Community and Social Services continue to align efforts to support seniors though the Older Adult Plan and the 10-Year Housing and Homelessness Plan; and

    BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, as part of Action 1 of the Housing Acceleration Plan, staff continue to review site specific options to allow for zoning conditions, if not already permitted, for residential developments that are oriented to serve the needs of seniors.

    Carried

4.
Adjournment

 

Next Meeting - to be determined.

The meeting adjourned at 6:43 pm.

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