Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter is praising a new Canada-Ontario program that could deliver billions in funding for housing-enabling infrastructure, calling it a “bold and cooperative approach” to tackle the housing supply and affordability crisis.
Starting this week, municipalities across Ontario can apply for funding through the Canada-Ontario Development Charge Reduction program. The City of Oshawa says it is ready to submit a list of projects aimed at accelerating housing construction and infrastructure growth.
Carter said the announcement demonstrated a “shared commitment” by all three levels of government to support faster housing supply and affordability.
“The City of Oshawa has and will continue to share this commitment to accelerate housing and infrastructure development to support housing affordability and economic growth,” Carter said in a statement.
The outgoing mayor pointed to Oshawa’s track record of backing accelerated housing construction through development charge reductions and an expedited permitting process. Since 2004, the city has waived development charges for all new housing development within the Downtown Urban Growth Centre. Between 2010 and 2020, charges were also waived for new housing developments along the Simcoe Street North Corridor.
“Oshawa is ready to put shovels in the ground,” Carter said, citing the growing Kedron and Columbus communities that are planned to accommodate a population of 46,000 near Highway 407. There are currently 1,600 residential units in the development pipeline downtown and an additional 2,800 residential units city-wide that could potentially be built within the next two years with appropriate funding.
“Oshawa remains a committed partner in this work and looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the federal and provincial governments to build more homes, strengthen Durham Region communities and grow a more resilient economy,” Carter added.
The program, first announced March 30, will deliver funding from both upper levels of government for ten years for housing-enabling infrastructure projects. Funding will be prioritized for municipalities that reduce development charges by 30 to 50 per cent or greater and maintain those reductions for at least three years.
Ontario Finance Minister and Pickering-Uxbridge MPP Peter Bethlenfalvy said the up to .8 billion in provincial and federal funding will speed up housing construction and improve affordability while helping municipalities deliver critical infrastructure.
The Building Industry and Land Development Association (BILD) welcomed the announcement, with CEO Dave Wilkes calling it an “historic initiative” that gives municipalities the opportunity to rapidly increase housing supply.
“Lowering development charges will help address the economic viability challenges that have stalled housing development across the GTA in recent years,” Wilkes said.
The application period closes June 19.
