Join GOHBA’s campaign for housing affordability and supply in Ottawa

IT WAS ONCE A RITE OF PASSAGE for young people embarking on careers to buy a home where they could build their lives.

But things have changed. The dream of home ownership is complicated for most—and impossible for many. Home prices, interest rates, and a country-wide housing supply crisis have created a messy mix that sees thousands of Canadians of all ages out of luck when searching for an affordable home.

Municipalities are working diligently to find innovative solutions to get homes built quickly. Zoning bylaws and development charges—though not seemingly exciting topics—are the place to start. Their impact is immeasurable, shaping the lives of Ottawa residents today and for generations to come.

Ottawa’s new zoning bylaw is being drafted on the expectation that Ottawa’s population will grow by 400,000 by 2046. Yet updated projections from the Ontario Ministry of Finance indicate that Ottawa’s population will grow by 660,000 in that time frame, raising valid concerns about whether the proposed zoning provisions can meet the critical housing needs of our rapidly expanding community. It certainly means we’re not building enough homes in an already stretched environment.

That’s why, when it comes to zoning, Ottawa has a once-in-a generation opportunity to ask not, “What should the limits be?” but instead, “What are the possibilities?”

We are at a critical point when it comes to housing in Ottawa, and we can’t build viable, ambitious communities with half-measures. Now is the time to take bold steps to increase density and the variety of housing that will be created and truly push the envelope for as-of-right development.

We need a zoning bylaw that lives up to our collective housing aspirations and gives future residents reasonable opportunity for a home of their own.

HOWL – Over 300 women came together to share knowledge, network and pave the way for women in the housing industry free of barriers