evandyk
Senior Member
Long-term low interest rates have certainly increased prices almost everywhere, but not necessarily the same as the increases we've seen here in the last two decades.
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Zoning Reform Ideas
- Thread starter A Torontonian Now
- Start date
evandyk
Senior Member
Sorry, didn't see that you had already posted this report!
Ontario has less housing stock for its residents than any other province in Canada
Despite the non-stop construction of generic new condo towers in its biggest city, Ontario has just been found to have the most drastic housing suppl…www.blogto.com
If you look how far behind we are the rest of the country and other G7 nations, we are in a supply pit and that needs to be resolved. We need 650 000 more units today to get to the Canadian average from this article.
DirectionNorth
Active Member
As bad as our situation?
Undead
Senior Member
Aus, NZ, Germany and Sweden had extreme price growth as well, if I recall correctly. Israel and South Korea have fairly hot markets too, particularly Israel.
DirectionNorth
Active Member
New Zealand has a competent leader, and they're actually taking action.
Australia's economy is ours, with less water; hardly seems like an ideal model to follow. Real estate speculation, commodity speculation, foreign students at diploma mills, it's like Southern Canada (or we're Northern Australia depending on who you ask).
I looked it up - Sweden's housing prices outside of Stockholm are reasonable - compared to ours. It's also the first year of double digit increases ever.
South Korea is probably to be expected, and it ticks the boxes for EXPENSIVE HOUSING MARKET. Giant metropolis? Check. Most land is unbuildable? Check. Lots of apartments already? Check.
Our lack of action would be more excusable if the solution wasn't so easy. (I'm accusing politicians, not you, to be clear)
Alas, it is the Canadian way to point the finger at another country and say that they're doing worse than us, so we don't need to do anything ...
calimehtar
Active Member
But then it's equally common for us to act as though we have unique problems and can't look elsewhere to see what has been tried and what can be learned from other countries
allengeorge
Senior Member
This draft report sounds like a scorcher. Lots of good supply-side ideas there. That said, I suspect the final report will be watered down and I think it’s unlikely the OPC will do anything before the election. Minister Steve Clark sounded ambivalent about upzoning in media comments yesterday.
I’ve all but given up hope for any level of government making hard decisions on this file. In Canada reports, inquiries and commissions are where ideas go to die.
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Northern Light
Superstar
This draft report sounds like a scorcher. Lots of good supply-side ideas there. That said, I suspect the final report will be watered down and I think it’s unlikely the OPC will do anything before the election. Minister Steve Clark sounded ambivalent about upzoning in media comments yesterday.
I’ve all but given up hope for any level of government making hard decisions on this file.
I think you'll see something.
Why bother convening a panel, relatively close to an election, delivering a result on the cusp of one, only to shrug and do nothing?
I don't think we'll see the farthest reaching stuff; and I'm probably fine w/that ( I would need to read the actual report to say something more useful).
But I can see fairly easy ways to use the report to justify doing 'something'; while doing less than what it recommends and using that as a shield against the NIMBY types.
What if you do the 4-floor as-of-right thing but limit it to arterial roads?
What if you exempt from SPAs but only if the height is within 1s of what's currently allowed?
I think there's lots of room here for positive change.
I have no particular faith in this government; but broken clocks are right twice a day.
allengeorge
Senior Member
You make some very good points. I think we’ll only see minimal changes, and all in the process front, but nothing substantial. My take on what’s likely to happen:
- Heritage requirements will be weakened (Steve Clark has written an op-ed on this)
- Stricter timelines on approvals along with penalties
- Removal of consultations on minor variances
- Simplify commercial space conversion
Towered
Superstar
Northern Light
Superstar
Broadly, not yet having seen all of the recommendations; I am, of course, supportive of the thrust of greater flexbility/as-of-right zoning, simplified processes, and lower fees.
That said, this jumps out at me:
This even manages to get the NDP up in arms, and I can understand why.
The simple fact here is that such a move would impact low-income residents in low-income areas and stifle their voice even in the most justifiable cases; while at the same time, being no material
object to an affluent rate-payers group.
Its obnoxious and it reeks of 'Justice for the Rich, only'
Clearly, there are NIMBY appeals that waste everyone's time, but the ways to address that through as-of-right zoning and other actions which remove grounds for appeal; not setting a financial barrier that impacts low-income earners disproportionately.
There is also the matter of putting in the necessary $$ to expedite the appeals process, as there is no reason an appeal of a Council decision shouldn't be able to be heard within 90 days of filing. Under-resourcing the OLT such that it takes upwards of 2 years is not the fault of a reasonable objector/appellant, its the fault of the state.
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Also, of note, the Green Party Leader's comments:
evandyk
Senior Member
Report is out!
Forecast for Failure
The population forecasts underpinning Ontario's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe substantially underestimated population growth since 2016 from international sources, specifically immigration and international students, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton (GTAH)...
institute.smartprosperity.ca
Northern Light
Superstar
Report is out!
Forecast for Failure
The population forecasts underpinning Ontario's Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe substantially underestimated population growth since 2016 from international sources, specifically immigration and international students, particularly in the Greater Toronto Area and Hamilton (GTAH)...
Thanks for the link to the actual report.
I saw this article from The Star on it earlier today:
Ontario ‘underestimated’ population growth, ‘overestimated’ housing stock, says BILD report
The company in charge of provincial forecasts says the forecasts were in line with the data available at the time.
www.thestar.com
And posted that, some excerpts from that; and some of my thoughts, in this thread:
Population of Toronto (Including Census Counts)
New projections out via the Ontario Population Projection to 2046. https://www.fin.gov.on.ca/en/economy/demographics/projections/ They have a number for the GTA, excluding Hamilton, of 10.2M in 2046 If you assumed that the rest of the numbers in the chart above flatlined from 2041 (there is...
I had wanted to add the report link at the time, but went to the BILD site looking for it w/o luck. '
allengeorge
Senior Member
That’s not the report commissioned by the government, is it?
Northern Light
Superstar
No.
This was for BILD
Building Industry and Land Development Association - BILD
Building a better GTA together. Read the latest industry news and reports.
bildgta.ca