Ottawa Home Builders Welcome Changes to Ontario’s Planning Regime to Improve Housing Affordability and Supply

 

OTTAWA, ON – March 30, 2026 – The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) welcomes the Ontario government’s introduction of the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act (Bill 98), which further reduces red tape and simplifies planning processes to facilitate more affordable new home construction.

 

“Clarity on, and standardization of, planning processes makes the application process quicker and more reliable, which translates into lower costs to bring housing online,” said Jason Burggaaf, GOHBA’s Executive Director. “It’s great to have the government’s continued focus on refining the planning regime across Ontario.”

 

“Paired with the morning announcements with the Federal Government to halve Development Charges, this bill will help create the conditions for faster, more predictable approvals,” he added

 

Amongst a series of proposals, the government is looking to allow high-quality encumbered lands to count towards municipal parkland dedication requirements. The legislation also builds on previous reforms in Bill 60 and makes further improvements to:

• simplify and standardize official plans;
• clarify site plan rules;
• modernize minimum lot sizes;
• prohibit enhanced development standards; and,
• streamline the Building Code.

 

A comprehensive review of the Building Code has not been done in 40 years, and GOHBA and its members look forward to contributing to that process.

 

The legislation also contemplates requiring the disclosure of municipal development charges and other government-imposed fees in agreements of purchase and sale for new homes.

 

“The additional transparency measures to indicate to new home buyers exactly how much of what they are paying is fees and charges is a welcome addition to the bill,” said Burggraaf. “This allows buyers to understand how much of their money is being spent on what when they purchase a home.”

 

GOHBA is committed to working with all levels of government, policymakers, industry stakeholders, and communities to get homes built and advance practical, scalable solutions to increase housing supply and affordability for residents in Ottawa and across Ontario, now and into the future.