Housing Pledge to Build 151,000 Homes to Address Ottawa’s Housing Affordability and Supply Crisis

Yesterday the City of Ottawa took the important step of signing a Municipal Housing Pledge as part of the provincial government's efforts to have 1.5 million new homes built over the next decade.

GOHBA provided the following letter of support for the pledge:

"The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association (GOHBA) supports the government’s bold new housing plan to improve housing affordability and supply in Ottawa and across the province. Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, introduced several measures to encourage the building of rental and more affordable homes, allow converting a single-detached home into a multi-unit building that can house two or three families, and mandate that municipalities provide sufficient zoning around transit stations in a more-timely manner.
Furthermore, the provincial government established a goal of building 1,500,000 new homes, Ottawa’s housing target has been established as 151,000 new homes, over the next decade. As a key stakeholder with the construction of all forms of housing, GOHBA pledges to support the City of Ottawa with their firm commitment to increase the housing supply for all forms of housings.

To assist the city with this pledge, GOHBA is committed to collaborate with the City of Ottawa and all stakeholders in a partnership to find proactive and long-term solutions for our current housing crisis. GOHBA is committed to quicker development approvals and the construction of more affordable, community and supportive housing. We believe that the best solution to achieve a long-term balance for the housing crisis and housing affordability is to work together to create more housing supply.

This housing pledge is the first step to advance housing for Ottawa. Looking ahead, we want to support Ottawa to ensure that there is sufficient infrastructure for growth, to update zoning by-laws to support the intensification targets of the Official Plan and support increased economic development though a skilled trades initiative to ensure we have the next generation of trades.

If we want to build 151,000 new homes here in Ottawa, then all three levels of government need to show leadership and work together. The Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association is committed to this housing pledge to build more homes to assist with the housing affordability crisis. GOHBA and its members are ready and willing to collaborate on solutions to the housing affordability and supply crisis in Ottawa."