Complexity, Inconsistency Delaying Safe, Affordable Housing in Ontario
Saturday, 27 April 2019 10:35.AM
- Building officials call for urgent changes to address housing shortages.
Construction in Ontario is thriving, and funding is in place, but current approval processes are hampering the development of safe and affordable housing across the province, says the Ontario Building Officials Association (OBOA).
"We have the best building codes in the world, which is why Ontarians feel safe in the places they live, work and play," says OBOA President, Matt Farrell. "We need to be cutting the red tape throughout the approvals processes to bring this housing to the market as quickly as possible."
As municipalities across the province prepare to mark Building Safety Month in May, an OBOA research paper finds that simplifying and streamlining development approval is key to increasing the availability of safe and affordable housing in Ontario. The association estimates it takes about eight to ten years to complete the planning needed to issue building permits for new communities in Ontario.
With recent commitments by both the federal and provincial governments to address the shortage of affordable housing, there is an increased need to streamline processes. "Premier Ford announced $1-billion in funding for affordable housing last month, and the prime minister committed another $1.3-billion before that, but cumbersome processes are going to delay making that housing available to the people who so desperately need it," Farrell adds.
"We applaud this commitment to funding and are encouraged by current efforts to review the development process for efficiencies that can save government, businesses and residents, time and money," says Farrell. "Our members are on the front line, battling inefficiencies that get in the way of building safe, sustainable and accessible communities across this great province."
Building Officials are municipal employees who oversee all construction, including buildings, housing and structures, to ensure projects comply with Ontario's complex and strict building code.
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