Inclusionary Housing Canada

On Thursday, June 3,  Bill 58, Planning Amendment Act (Enabling Municipalities to Require Inclusionary Housing), 2010 passed second reading in the Ontario legislature and referred to the Standing Committee on Regulations and Private Bills.

This bill was the same as one that was introduced in the Legislature last fall and needed to come forward again after the new session was started this spring.  The purpose of the bill is to amend the Planning Act to allow municipalities to introduce Inclusionary Housing By-Laws and programs.

The content of the bill can be read here.

The Hansard debate on Bill 58 can be read here.

A list of the MPPs who voted in favour of the bill can be read here.

The Regional Planning Commissioners of Ontario (RPCO) represents the planning directors, commissioners and other senior planning officials of municipal governments across Ontario.

Its current membership includes the Cities of Chatham-Kent, Guelph, Greater Sudbury, Hamilton, Kingston, London, Ottawa, Thunder Bay and Windsor; the Regional Municipalities of Durham, Halton, Niagara, Peel, Waterloo, and York; Counties of Simcoe and Haldimand; and the District Municipality of Muskoka.

The RPCO through letters to the Province and position papers has repeatedly made clear its support for inclusionary housing.

The most recent correspondence, a letter from the Chair of the RPCO to the Acting Assistant Deputy Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing on 12 April 2010, opened with this statement:

“I am writing to again express our support for the development of explicit policies and legislation to enable municipalities to require the provision of inclusionary housing.”

Read this letter in full.

See other endorsers of Inclusionary Housing