Housing Affordability Strategy – Proposed Official Plan Amendment

Notice of public meeting and decision meeting of Council

In accordance with section 17 and 21 of the Planning Act, a joint public meeting and decision meeting of City Council will be held to consider the proposed Official Plan Amendment.

Statutory public meeting and decision meeting:

Tuesday, December 10, 2024
4 p.m.

This is a hybrid City Council meeting that can be watched online at guelph.ca/live or in – person in Council Chambers, 1 Carden Street, Guelph.

The purpose of the joint public meeting and decision meeting is to share information about the amendment, consider public comments, and City staff will provide a recommendation to Council on the proposed Official Plan Amendment.

Purpose and effect of the Official Plan Amendment

The proposed Official Plan Amendment is being introduced to update the affordable housing targets in the City’s Official Plan to align with affordable housing to 2051 from the final recommended 2024 Housing Affordability Strategy.

Subject lands

The proposed OPA applies to all land within the municipal boundaries of the City of Guelph.

Official Plan Amendment No. 101 (OPA 101)

Format of the Amendment

This section of the Amendment sets out additions and changes to the text and mapping in the Official Plan. Sections of the Official Plan that are proposed to be added or changed are referred to as “ITEMS” in the following description. Text that is proposed to be amended is illustrated by various font types (e.g. struck-out is to be deleted and bold text is to be added). Unchanged text represents existing Official Plan policy that is being carried forward that has been included for context and does not constitute part of Amendment 101. New sections that are proposed to be added to the Official Plan are shown in standard font type with titles appearing in bold. Italicized font indicates defined terms or the name of a provincial act or title of a document.

Implementation and Interpretation

The implementation of this amendment shall be in accordance with the provisions of the Planning Act. The further implementation and associated interpretation of this amendment shall be in accordance with the relevant text and mapping schedules of the existing Official Plan of the City of Guelph and applicable legislation.

Amendment 101 should be read in conjunction with the current Official Plan (February 2024 Consolidation, as amended) which is available on the City’s website at guelph.ca, or at the Planning Services office located at 1 Carden Street, Guelph, ON on the 3rd Floor.

Details of the Proposed Amendment

ITEM 1: The purpose of ITEM 1 is to amend Section 7.2 to implement the new city-wide annual affordable housing targets to align with the final recommended 2024 Housing Affordability Strategy and the affordable housing need to 2051 for the City of Guelph.

Section 7.2 is hereby amended as follows:

7.2.1. Affordable Housing Targets

  1. The annual affordable housing target requires that an average of 30% 33% of new residential development constitute affordable housing. The target is to be measured city-wide. The target consists of 10% affordable ownership units and 23% affordable primary rental units (consisting of units within both the primary and secondary rental markets).

For more information

The staff report will be available on November 29, 2024 after 12 p.m. at guelph.ca/agendas.

The planners to contact for the Official Plan Amendment are:

Cushla Matthews, MCIP, RPP
Development Advisor
519-822-1260 extension 3982
[email protected]

Lucas Mollame, MCIP, RPP
Policy Planner II
519-822-1260 extension 3879
[email protected]

How to get involved

Any person may attend the meeting and/or provide verbal or written comments on the application.

When we receive your registration, we will send you a confirmation message and instructions for participating in the hybrid public meeting will be provided. Instructions

will also be provided during the meeting to ensure those watching online and attending in-person will be given the opportunity to speak.

To speak to the amendment, please notify the Clerk’s Department no later than 10

  • on Friday December 6, 2024, by any of the following ways:
    • Register online at ca/delegation
    • By phone at 519-837-5603 or TTY 519-826-9771
    • By email to [email protected]

When we receive your registration, we will send you a confirmation message and instructions for participating in the remote Council meeting. Instructions will also be provided during the meeting to ensure those watching the remote public meeting will be given the opportunity to speak.

To submit written comments and be included in the Council Agenda, we request written comments no later than 10:00 a.m. on Friday December 6, 2024, by any of the following ways:

  • By email to [email protected] and [email protected] (attachments must not exceed 15 MB)
  • In person at the ServiceGuelph Counter at City Hall, 1 Carden Street, Guelph
  • By regular mail or courier to Guelph City Clerk, 1 Carden Street, Guelph ON N1H 3A1 or place them in the mail slot beside the main entrance to City Hall no later than 10:00 a.m. on Friday, December 6,

How to stay informed

If you wish to be notified of the City Council decision on this application you must make a written request to the City Clerk by way of email or regular mail as listed above.

Appeals information

Only the applicant, specified person and public bodies as defined in the Planning Act, and registered owners of lands to which the by-law will apply and who made oral submissions at the public meeting or who have made written submissions to the City before the by-law is passed, will be able to appeal the decision of the City of Guelph to the Ontario Land Tribunal.

If a person or public body does not make oral submissions at a public meeting, or make written submissions to the City of Guelph before the Official Plan Amendment is adopted, the person or public body may not be added as a party to the hearing of an appeal before the Ontario Land Tribunal unless, in the opinion of the Tribunal, there are reasonable grounds to do so.

Notice of collection of personal information

Personal information is being collected in order to gather feedback and communicate with interested parties regarding this Official Plan Amendment. Information provided or presented at a public meeting is considered a public record and may be posted on the City’s website or made public upon request.

This information is collected under the authority of the Planning Act, R.S.O. 1990, cP.13. Questions about this collection should be directed to the Information and Access Coordinator at 519-822-1260 extension 2349 or [email protected].

Accessibility

Alternative accessible formats are available by contacting [email protected] or TTY 519-826-9771.