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| More Homes, More Choice Act (2022) | |
|---|---|
| Name | More Homes, More Choice Act (2022) |
| Enacted | 2022 |
| Jurisdiction | Ontario |
| Introduced | 2022 |
| Status | Enacted |
More Homes, More Choice Act (2022) The More Homes, More Choice Act (2022) is Ontario provincial legislation aiming to reform provincial planning and housing laws. It was promoted by the Doug Ford administration and enacted amid debates involving housing affordability, municipal governance, and provincial statutes such as the Planning Act (Ontario) and the Development Charges Act (Ontario). The bill interacts with institutions like the Ontario Land Tribunal and agencies including Housing Services Corporation.
The Act emerged against a backdrop of rising housing prices in Toronto, Ottawa, and other Greater Toronto Area municipalities, debates following reports by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation and analyses from think tanks such as the Fraser Institute and the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives. The government cited commitments from the 2018 Ontario general election platform of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario and consulted stakeholder groups including the Building Industry and Land Development Association and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. Critics referenced precedents like reforms under the Planning Act (Ontario) revisions and compared policy trajectories with initiatives in British Columbia and Alberta.
Key provisions amended the Planning Act (Ontario), the Development Charges Act (Ontario), and the Municipal Act, 2001, among other statutes. Changes included streamlining approvals by reducing avenues for third-party appeals to the Ontario Land Tribunal and altering rules on inclusionary zoning and ministerial zoning orders; these intersected with tools used in Mississauga, Hamilton, and York Region. The Act expanded permissions for residential uses in areas previously zoned for single-family dwellings, modified thresholds for site plan control and adjusted timelines for committee of adjustment processes in municipalities such as Brampton and Kingston. It also revised formulas for development charges affecting projects by developers like Mattamy Homes and investment entities such as Brookfield Asset Management.
Supporters included the provincial cabinet led by Doug Ford, the Ontario Home Builders’ Association, and some developers; they cited models advanced by advocates like Murray Dobbin and policy proposals echoed by the C.D. Howe Institute. Opponents encompassed municipal leaders from Toronto City Council, the Association of Municipalities of Ontario, tenant-rights groups including ACORN Canada, and academic critics from institutions like the University of Toronto and York University. Public interest organizations such as Environmental Defence raised concerns about impacts on greenfield protections, while labour groups like the Ontario Federation of Labour focused on infrastructure and service funding. Legal scholars referenced case law from the Supreme Court of Canada to argue about provincial-municipal authority.
Introduced in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario in 2022 by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario), the bill underwent readings, committee review, and floor debate. Amendments were proposed by members from New Democratic Party of Ontario, Liberal Party of Ontario, and the governing Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, with consultations involving the Standing Committee on Social Policy and stakeholders like the Urban Land Institute. The bill’s passage adjusted statutory instruments including the Planning Act (Ontario), and its regulatory framework was shaped by directives from the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario).
Analyses by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation, the Ryerson City Building Institute (now at Toronto Metropolitan University), and consultants from firms such as Altus Group estimated effects on housing supply in regions like the GTA, Niagara Region, and Windsor. Proponents argued it would increase multi-unit developments and accelerate permissions for projects by entities such as Concord Pacific and Tridel, potentially affecting affordability metrics tracked by Statistics Canada and the Canadian Real Estate Association. Critics warned of unintended consequences for infrastructure funding, municipal revenues, and heritage protections invoked in jurisdictions like Kingston and Niagara-on-the-Lake, drawing comparisons to planning outcomes in Vancouver and Calgary.
Following enactment, municipalities including Toronto, Mississauga, Ottawa, and London revised zoning bylaws, launched appeals through the Ontario Land Tribunal, and sought provincial regulatory guidance. Provincial agencies issued guidance notes and regulatory amendments administered by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing (Ontario), while local councils negotiated compromises with developers including Great Gulf and Mattamy Homes. Litigation involving municipal appellants and developers referenced precedents from the Environmental Review Tribunal and the Superior Court of Justice (Ontario), shaping ongoing implementation.
Category:Ontario legislation Category:Housing policy in Canada