Council Unanimously Approves Resolution Reaffirming Burlington’s Commitment to Addressing Housing Crisis & Housing Strategy Recommendations

Housing
Written By

City Council unanimously approved a resolution I brought forward with Deputy Mayor for Housing Councillor Shawna Stolte at our Dec. 12 meeting to help us secure important federal funding and emphasizes enhancements that will further support the recommendations in our City’s Housing Strategy and demonstrate Burlington’s commitment to addressing the housing crisis.The resolution reaffirms Council's supports identified either as additions to the elements captured in our Action Plan or representing a clarification of our full commitment, including:

  • Moving forward expeditiously on the Council Motion to implement four units as a of right and other actions identified in the Housing Strategy including implementing opportunities to increase the range of housing options available;
  • A new “no parking minimum” pilot focused on two corridors identified as Frequent Transit Corridors in the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 – specifically Fairview Street / Plains Road corridor and the Appleby Line corridor. This will include analysis, monitoring and reporting back on the outcomes and with the potential to expand to other identified Frequent Transit Corridors.
  • The City's existing Development Charges exempts non-profit housing. The City commits to understanding the definitions and impacts of Bill 134, and will waive fees on housing that supports low to moderate income households including co-operative or other similar forms of housing.
  • Clarification and realignment of the commitment to develop a Community Improvement Plan and associated incentives for, at a minimum the following:
    • o Attainable/Affordable, purpose built rental housing
    • o Non-market housing
    • o Additional Residential Units.
  • Continued commitment through Council’s consideration of the Community Planning Permit System with a focus on the removal of barriers to promote intensification and the identification of new approaches to developing complete communities within the City’s MTSAs.

Burlington is also supportive on the federal government's announcement yesterday about potentially reviving a revised version of a wartime housing effort where there would be a standardized pre-approved design catalogue that could help streamline and cut months off of processing and permit timelines, as well as help speed-up construction.We hope reaffirming our commitments, with new additions and clarification, will lead us to federal approval of the City of Burlington's Housing Accelerator Fund application of $40 million.To read the full resolution scroll further down this post or click/tap the links below:

MY TAKE:It is critical to get funding the federal government is providing to municipalities. One of the conditions in the Housing Accelerator Fund announced by the federal government, was a commitment to allow four units as of right -- we've done that. Yesterday, Burlington Council unanimously endorsed me sending a letter to Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Minister Sean Fraser detailing not only that, but also highlighting a pilot project to eliminate parking minimums in some of our Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) and endorsing their recent announcement regarding consultations to bring back a wartime housing effort with a catalogue of pre-approved designs that could help streamline process and get housing built faster.Happy to work with Deputy Mayor for Housing Counc. Stolte and City staff to bring this resolution forward and we thank our Council colleagues for their unanimous support on this.There is $40 million on the table for Burlington, so we're hoping the federal government sees that we are eager to do our part to meet housing needs and we're willing to make some bold changes in order to secure that funding for our community.MOTION MEMO:Whereas on August 18, 2023, the City of Burlington submitted its application to the Housing Accelerator Fund, for approximately $40,000,000, to create more supply of housing at an accelerated pace and enhance the certainty in the approvals and buildingprocess; andWhereas the Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation (CMHC), who is managing the Housing Accelerator Fund, recently requested that the City of Burlington consider ways to be more ambitious in terms of its approach to creating more housing; andWhereas CMHC has requested that the City convey its commitment to being more ambitious while still respecting the City’s strategic priorities; andTherefore, be it resolved that Burlington City Council supports the following that are either in addition to the elements captured in the Action Plan or represent a clarification of full commitment:

  • Moving forward expeditiously on the Council Motion to implement four units as a of right and other actions identified in the Housing Strategy including implementing opportunities to increase the range of housing options available;
  • A new “no parking minimum” pilot focused on two corridors identified as Frequent Transit Corridors in the Burlington Official Plan, 2020 – specifically Fairview Street / Plains Road corridor and the Appleby Line corridor. This will include analysis, monitoring and reporting back on the outcomes and with the potential to expand to other identified Frequent Transit Corridors.
  • The City's existing Development Charges exempts non-profit housing. The City commits to understanding the definitions and impacts of Bill 134, and will waive fees on housing that supports low to moderate income households including co-operative or other similar forms of housing.
  • Clarification and realignment of the commitment to develop a Community Improvement Plan and associated incentives for, at a minimum the following:
    • o Attainable/Affordable, purpose built rental housing
    • o Non-market housing
    • o Additional Residential Units.
  • Continued commitment through Council’s consideration of the Community Planning Permit System with a focus on the removal of barriers to promote intensification and the identification of new approaches to developing complete communities within the City’s MTSAs.

And that, a copy of this motion along with the attached letter of support for our commitment to what is outlined in our HAF application along with any changes directed by council or any refinements proposed by CMHC, be sent to the The Honourable Sean Fraser Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities;And further that a copy of the motion and letter are also sent to The Honourable Karina Gould, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Pam Damoff, MP Oakville North-Burlington, and Adam van Koeverden, MP Milton.RELATED LINKS:

Previous

The Trumpeter Swan is Burlington's Official City Bird
Next

New Lobbyist Registry Bylaw for City of Burlington Comes Into Effect on Jan. 1, 2024