Draft Housing Strategy and Action Plan to facilitate more variety in types of housing
Wednesday, July 12, 2023
To support Oakville’s housing requirements, the town is working on a comprehensive Housing Strategy and Action Plan. The draft strategy and action plan was shared with Town Council at the July 10, 2023 Planning and Development Council meeting. Council directed staff to undertake public engagement on the draft and report back on refining and finalizing the Housing Strategy and Action Plan in coordination with other ongoing provincial initiatives.
The draft Housing Strategy is aligned to the Livable Oakville Official Plan to guide decision making and take action to promote housing supply, accelerate housing delivery and improve housing choice. The draft Action Plan includes nearly 70 actions to improve the housing landscape in Oakville and strengthen partnerships with upper levels of government, agency partners and the development industry in an effort to deliver the housing Oakville needs.
“The Housing Strategy and Action Plan focuses on creating more homes and variety in housing options for our growing population who want to be part of our thriving and livable town. We look forward to more public engagement to help refine the comprehensive housing strategy that provides housing options to suit various needs and lifestyles.”
- Mayor Rob Burton
The draft Housing Strategy is aligned to the Livable Oakville Official Plan to guide decision making and take action to promote housing supply, accelerate housing delivery and improve housing choice. The draft Action Plan includes nearly 70 actions to improve the housing landscape in Oakville and strengthen partnerships with upper levels of government, agency partners and the development industry in an effort to deliver the housing Oakville needs.
Housing Accelerator Fund Application
The town has also applied for funding support through the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation’s (CMHC) Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) program, and Council approved seven housing initiatives in support of the application. Should the town’s application be successful, funding from the program could be used to support the seven key housing initiatives, as well as infrastructure to support housing:
- Innovative housing solutions - policy enhancements and fee updates (Development Charge/Community Benefit Charge/parkland)
- Policy and regulation updates promoting and permitting accessory dwelling units
- Town surplus land (including the Public Works Site which is to be developed)
- Hard and soft infrastructure planning around Bronte GO Major Transit Station Area
- Complete the Midtown Oakville Urban Growth Area Review
- Zoning updates for as-of-right intensification permissions
- Digital enhancements for development application processing
Background
- Currently, low density housing (detached and semi-detached homes) form 64 per cent of Oakville’s housing, while 24 per cent are medium density housing (townhouses, apartments with four storeys or less), and the remaining 12 per cent are high-density housing (apartments of five storeys or more). To provide more housing in key growth areas along major transit corridors, the town would need to facilitate more variety in the types of housing.
- The Regional Official Plan was recently updated and now calls for at least 65 per cent of new housing units produced annually in Halton to be in the form of townhouses or multi-storey buildings (higher density housing).
- The Housing Accelerator Fund (HAF) is a $4 billion federal program that was announced through the Federal Budget 2022 and administered by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC), to accelerate the supply of housing across Canada, aiming to create at least 100,000 housing units across the country.
Quotes
“The Housing Strategy and Action Plan focuses on creating more homes and variety in housing options for our growing population who want to be part of our thriving and livable town. We look forward to more public engagement to help refine the comprehensive housing strategy that provides housing options to suit various needs and lifestyles.”
- Mayor Rob Burton