Ottawa Home Builders welcome changes to proposed Zoning Bylaw to support new housing; anticipate further strides to increase housing supply and affordability

Ottawa, ON — The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) today welcomed the news that the third and final draft of Ottawa’s new Zoning Bylaw will address the Association’s call to increase height allowances within the Greenbelt and reduce setbacks for high rises, measures which will increase density and allow for much needed housing closer to transit.

The Association is also anticipating positive recommendations to boost housing across the City from an upcoming report from the Housing Innovation Task Force, which was convened by Mayor Sutcliffe earlier this year.

“These two initiatives – the new Zoning Bylaw and the Task Force Recommendations – should help our housing market that’s really been treading water,” said Jason Burggraaf, GOHBA’s Executive Director. “Zoning is in the best position it’s been to support density, and with several industry members serving on the Task Force, we look forward to hearing about the kinds of bold changes the City is ready to tackle in order to address Ottawa’s housing crisis.”

At the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario Conference in Ottawa, Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack was clear in his expectations that the Province and municipalities would work together to build homes much faster, because it is currently taking too long and costs too much to build in Ontario. Residents have expressed that they expect all levels of government to stop finger pointing and work together to build more housing and address issues of affordability.

“While we were sad to see the City miss its housing target for 2024 and therefore miss out on funding through the Building Faster Fund, we were heartened to hear the Mayor indicate his willingness to work with the Province to ensure that it doesn’t happen again,” said Burggraaf. “I know that GOHBA members are ready to work with all levels of government to increase housing supply across Ottawa.”

Increased heights in neighbourhood zones (N1 and N2) across the City to a uniform 11 metres will allow for the construction of 3-storey homes. The high-rise height transition framework has been reduced to a 25-metre tower setback from rear lot lines, which will make more lots along transit corridors and main streets viable for taller buildings.

The zoning bylaw changes were confirmed in the August 22 Status update on the new Zoning By-law that will be considered at the September 3, 2025 meeting of the City’s Planning and Housing Committee. The full bylaw will be released for public consultation on the City’s Engage Ottawa website on September 8.

GOHBA remains committed to advocating for policies that promote housing affordability and supply for Ottawa’s residents, now and into the future.