Housing in Guelph

Housing in Guelph: an interactive story

We recently submitted a housing pledge, committing to the Province’s mandate of building 18,000 units by 2031. What’s our role? What are we doing to help build more houses? Take a tour of our story map to learn more.

Housing in Guelph story map

Understanding provincial legislation

The Province of Ontario has introduced several pieces of legislation that aim to address the housing crisis in Ontario. Learn more about the changing legislation and the impacts it has on the City and our community.

Bill 108: More Homes, More Choices Act

Bill 108: More Homes, More Choices Act

On May 2, 2019, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing released the More Homes, More Choice: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan and introduced a related bill titled Bill 108: More Homes, More Choices Act.

What are the key changes?

The changes included in Bill 108 were intended to shorten approvals, encourage the building of a variety of housing types, and provide more clarity for how development levies are calculated. Bill 108 impacts the development process by changing:

  • The Development Charges Act
  • The Planning Act
  • The Heritage Act
  • Added community benefit charges
  • Amendments to how the Local Planning Appeals Tribunal (LPAT) functions

How does this impact Guelph?

The City of Guelph supports building more housing to meet Ontario’s growing needs. Bill 108 however, presents changes to how the City develops complete communities and provides livable cities for everyone who lives here. Several of the changes proposed to the Planning Act create challenges to the City’s ability to meet its community needs for parkland, affordable housing and other community benefits that enhance wellbeing. The City advocated to the Province for several clarifications and considerations including to ensure that municipalities have the tools to implement the proposed legislation consistently and fairly.

Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act

Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act

On March 30, 2022, the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing introduced legislation titled Bill 109, the More Homes for Everyone Act which outlined a suite of actions to further address Ontario’s housing crisis.

What are the key changes?

The province outlined that Bill 109 is meant to reduce housing speculation which drives up the cost of housing, protect homebuyers from predatory development practices, and create more housing options for homeowners and renters by accelerating development timelines to get more homes built faster. As part of this, Bill 109 amends six statutes, including:

  • The Planning Act
  • The Development Charges Act, and
  • The City of Toronto Act, 2006. 

How does this impact Guelph?

Bill 109 introduces application fee refunds where decisions are not made within legislative timeframes on Zoning By-law Amendments, Official Plan Amendments and approvals. As a result of these changes, the City has made significant changes to existing work processes and resources available for reviewing planning and development applications and Ontario Land Tribunal appeals. The changes help mitigate future fee refunds under Bill 109 and avoid any tax levy impacts.

On November 22, 2022, Guelph Council approved a new schedule of planning and development fees and directed staff to undertake a planning and development fee review in 2023 with the intent of supporting full cost recovery.

Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act

Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act

Bill 23 was introduced on October 25, 2022 by the Provincial Government as a measure intended to advance the province’s plan to address the housing crisis in Ontario by building 1.5 million homes over the next 10 years. This is part of the government’s longer-term strategy to increase the supply of housing across Ontario.

What are the key changes?

  • Developers pay reduced development charges, reduced community benefits charges, and reduced parkland dedication fees

How does this impact Guelph?

Bill 23 included key changes to development charges, the Heritage Act, the role of conservation authorities, and the building code among others. Changes to development revenues include:

  • Reduced amount of Development Charges that developers pay,
  • Reduced amount of Community Benefit Charges that can be collected, and
  • Reduced amount of Parkland Dedication revenue collected.

Official Plan Amendment 80

The City updated its Official Plan to conform to changes to Provincial legislation and policies as part of Official Plan Amendment 80, which was adopted by City of Guelph Council on July 11, 2022.

What are the key changes?

On April 11, 2023 the province approved the Plan with eighteen (18) modifications which include:

  • The City is no longer required to consult with the Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) regarding natural heritage features
  • Downtown Secondary Plan building heights increased to 23 storeys, and
  • Changes to employment land requirements

Official Plan Amendment 80 – Minister’s decision

How does this impact Guelph?

The changes influence all the lands within Guelph, and will have the following impacts:

  • The Province now decides if natural heritage systems (wildlife habitat, woodlots, wetlands) are protected from development
  • Costs related to new stormwater management infrastructure to replace natural heritage system
  • Building heights in some areas now exceed community plan values
  • Less employment land means fewer jobs for the people who will be living in Guelph

Province reviewing past decisions related to official plans

On October 23, the Province announced it is winding back changes to official plans. City staff are reviewing this announcement and what it means for our Official plan, housing pledge and the budget.

City of Guelph’s Housing Pledge: By Guelph, For Guelph

The Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing issued a letter on October 25, 2022, revised February 13, 2023, regarding the More Homes, Built Faster: Ontario’s Housing Supply Action Plan 2022–2023. The action plan is intended to address the anticipated impacts associated with Bill 109, More Homes for Everyone Act, and Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act.

Read the City’s housing pledge and letter to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

What are the key changes?

The letter states that to implement the 1.5 million homes target, the Minister is asking the City of Guelph to demonstrate its commitment to accelerating housing supply by developing a Municipal Housing Pledge and take the necessary steps to facilitate the construction of 18,000 new homes by 2031.

How does this impact Guelph?

While not responsible for the actual building of homes, there are actions that the City can take to facilitate more housing. In the pledge, the City commits to eight different goals and over 30 objectives to set the stage for success in Guelph. Some of these goals are:

  • simplify and improve the development approvals review process;
  • increase human resources to deliver capital infrastructure projects that provide essential services like water and wastewater needed for new housing;
  • end exclusionary zoning policies; and
  • communicate with third-party utility providers and construction industry partners to ensure they are aware of these housing targets and can adjust their plans and help the Province achieve these housing goals.

Encampments

Encampments

Resources

For more information

Have questions? Want to know more about our work to increase housing supply? Email us at [email protected]. We’re happy to talk with you!