Housing policy news: May 2022

FEDERAL 

• New CMHC report examines how housing supply is impacting affordability across Canada 
  The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC)’s new Housing Supply Report shows that even though some of Canada’s largest cities are building more rental buildings, overall housing starts have not kept pace with population growth in these cities. CMHC claims that this is the biggest issue affecting housing affordability, both for homeownership and rental housing. However, housing researcher Steve Pomeroy warns that simply increasing supply will not bring prices down, and lower-income residents continue to be squeezed out of the market. The solution will lie in increasing the right supply of housing and enacting regulations to maintain affordability levels.  

NEW BRUNSWICK 

• Advocates say that New Brunswick’s proposed changes to tenancy law don’t go far enough to address the housing crisis 
  The New Brunswick Coalition for Tenants Rights says that the province’s proposed amendments to the Residential Tenancy Act to cap rent increases at 3.8 per cent should be a permanent measure, rather than the current proposal to remove the cap by the end of 2022. The Coalition and opposition parties also urged the government to amend the bill to address loopholes that allow landlords to increase the rent beyond the cap, and strengthen tenant protections against renovictions and lease terminations. The Standing Committee on Economic Policy is currently studying the proposed legislation, and it is expected to receive royal assent in June.   
• Fredericton releases Draft Affordable Housing Strategy with 13 key recommendations 
  The City of Fredericton has developed a Draft Affordable Housing Strategy, based on an assessment of residents’ housing needs carried out in 2021. The strategy outlines 13 recommendations to increase affordable housing by increasing City staff capacity and expertise to address issues, revising zoning bylaws, supporting community housing organizations and projects, providing land, exploring taxation tools, requesting provincial support and legislative changes, and collaborating with other municipalities on similar issues. The City has sought public feedback, and the strategy will be presented to City Council in June.   

QUEBEC 

• New bill proposed to strengthen protections for seniors from being evicted 
  The Quebec Solidaire opposition party has proposed legislation to prevent the eviction of seniors over the age of 65 who have lived in the same apartment for more than five years. This would change the current rule that prevents eviction of seniors over 70 who have lived in the same unit for 10 or more years. Advocates say the bill should be further strengthened to also prevent seniors’ residences from being converted into regular rental units.  

ONTARIO 

• Affordable housing is a top issue during Ontario’s provincial election 
  All of Ontario’s main parties made various election campaign promises to address the province’s affordable housing crisis. While all parties say they would prioritize boosting the supply of housing, the parties diverged on a range of issues impacting renters. Many advocates – including CERA’s Director of Policy and Communications, Bahar Shadpour – emphasized the need to prioritize Ontarians in greatest need and protect the province’s current affordable housing stock.  
• Hamilton votes to add inclusionary zoning to the City’s Official Plan 
  Hamilton’s Planning Committee voted unanimously in favour of adding inclusionary zoning in the City’s Official Plan, to require that housing developments built along the City’s upcoming Light Rail Transit (LRT) route set aside a portion of units to be affordable.  
• The Region of Peel is setting up a working group to design its inclusionary zoning system 
  Peel Region will establish a working group to design the region’s inclusionary zoning system, which is expected to create 200 new affordable housing units for low- and moderate-income households each year. The administration of the system will be managed by the Region of Peel, and the working group will be looking into how to set up various aspects of the system including the resale of affordable units, regulating access, ensuring their long-term affordability, and matching residents with units. 
   

ALBERTA 

• Calgary considers launching a Housing and Affordability Task Force and Housing Security Commission 
  Calgary’s Executive Committee has approved a proposal that the City of Calgary should look into setting up a Housing and Affordability Task Force which would recommend how to increase, measure and manage affordable housing across the city. The Committee also supported looking at different Housing Security Commission models to work with supportive housing providers, emergency shelters, and the provincial and federal governments – among other partners – to improve housing outcomes for people seeking supportive housing. Council will consider these two items in early July.  

BRITISH COLUMBIA 

• Indigenous housing organization calls on the federal government to fund its Indigenous housing strategy 
  The Aboriginal Housing Management Association (AHMA) – which oversees Indigenous housing and service providers in B.C. – says that over 20,000 Indigenous housing units are needed over the next 10 years. AHMA is calling on the federal government to invest $7.3 billion to implement a strategy to build and repair housing that is culturally appropriate for Indigenous people across the province. 
• Victoria City Council delays passing its “missing middle” housing initiative 
  On May 26, Victoria City Council voted to refer a proposed “missing middle” housing initiative back to City staff to conduct another round of public engagements, despite the initiative having received majority support during a previous round of public consultations. If passed, the initiative would rezone single-family lots to allow for more diverse housing types, which could help create more affordable housing options. Advocates expressed concern that the delay could cause this initiative to not be passed.  

YUKON 

• Auditor General finds Yukon has made little progress on housing in over 10 years 
  A new report by the Office of the Auditor General of Canada (OAG) has found that the Yukon government has not acted upon recommendations made by the OAG in 2010 to address long-standing housing issues in the territory for those in greatest need. Among other issues, the report found that the wait list for community housing has steadily grown, wait times are longer, and the most vulnerable communities needing support are not being prioritized. The report includes a new set of recommendations directed to the Yukon Housing Corporation and the Department of Health and Social Services to address these issues. 
• Whitehorse’s draft Official Community Plan focuses on housing issues 
  The City of Whitehorse is seeking public input on its Whitehorse 2040: Official Community Plan which identifies the city’s land use planning and development priorities for the next 20 years. With a growing population, the plan focuses on increasing density in existing neighbourhoods and expanding housing in new subdivisions. The draft plan is set to be presented to City Council in August. 

NUNAVUT 

• Nunavut’s budget includes a focus on housing investments 
  The Nunavut government has tabled its 2022-2023 budget which includes an increased amount for housing developments, as the government aims to build 1,000 new units over the next four years. The government also indicated that it is open to using some of its surplus to tackle Nunavut’s housing shortage, and that plans are underway to possibly increase spending on housing incrementally during the government’s mandate.