Municipal Housing Pledge

The approval of the City’s new Official Plan is essential to the City achieving the targets of the Municipal Housing Pledge. This document plans for additional lands in the City and targets increased densities in residential areas and focuses on changing the built form of housing from single detached homes to row/townhouses/low-rise/ mid-rise and high-rise buildings across the City.

Work on the new Zoning By-Law is underway and is supported by the Streamline Development Fund. The new zoning by-law will support the increased densities proposed in the new Official Plan and will be current, intending to reduce the number of zoning by-law amendments required to approve new housing units.

Community Planning Permit Systems are a one stop approval for projects and can combine elements like site plan or a minor variance to the zoning by-law approved at a staff level and this tool will be explored when the foundational documents of the new Official Plan and Zoning By-law are in place. 

The City updated the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) to encourage and support affordable housing initiatives. Since 2020, the CIP has supported the development of 248 affordable housing units.

Where appropriate, the City will promote the use of the Committee of Adjustment more for residential approvals. It is faster and less expensive (for smaller projects) but can only be used in the correct context.

The City is working with a consultant supported by the Streamline Development Fund to look at improvements to the overall development review process. Once the recommendations are received, improvements to the process will be implemented.

The City commits to reviewing and updating the Capital Plan on an annual basis to ensure infrastructure investments to support new development subject to adequate funding.

The City is undertaking an update to all infrastructure Master Plans starting in 2023 to align planned infrastructure with the City’s growth to 2051.

Updating guidelines and support materials to encourage the creation of new additional residential units properly. Require builders to provide additional residential unit options at the time of purchase and sale.

Anticipated unit yield: Currently, there are 2,465 additional residential units in the City, and the City is anticipated to approve, on average, an additional 200 units per year. Continuing this trend would yield an additional 1,800 units through to 2031.

As part of the Council initiative to promote housing options on properties of churches, places of worship and institutional properties, the New Foundations Program was launched. The results of this program could create new housing on underutilized institutional sites in the City.

Anticipated unit yield: Preliminary work on the proposed concept plans for approximately 8 development sites could yield an additional 1,500 dwelling units through to 2031.

The City will review the existing securities, deposits, letters of credit and certificates of insurance for projects that have not requested a full release yet for eligible works, in the hopes of “freeing up” more capital to businesses / property owners to support other development projects.

The City will look at the list of existing yet unbuilt approvals and propose to the applicants a way to explore increased height and density, if applicable, as older approvals may not be viable in the current economic climate.

Anticipated unit yield: 1,400 units (based on an increase of 10% over the approved but not built units as of December 2022)

The City is committed to working with our government partners in any way possible to promote additional housing opportunities in the City. This can include funding partnerships, pilot projects and any other initiatives, including the support of all day, two way Go Transit / Metrolinx service.

The City is using the funds from the Provincial Streamline Development Fund to review of the development process hire additional staff, produce a new zoning by-law, and add computer software. The Streamline Development Approvals Fund (SDAF) Report, published in October 2023, summarizes the City's use of the Province's funding.

While the City works collaboratively with the development community on an ongoing basis, the City will do targeted outreach to developers with approvals asking specifically what the City can do to assist in their development projects. 

Anticipated unit yield: The goal for this action item would be to increase the approved to built ratio from 30% to 50%, this would generate approximately 3,900 units based on current statistics. 

The City will embark on an outreach program to different professional organizations to brainstorm / think tank ways to promote new housing and development such as: the Barrie Construction Association, Simcoe County Homebuilders Association, real estate professionals, engineers, architects and registered professional planners.

The City will support the pledge with getting more people interested in the construction trades via job fairs and other initiatives, such as secondary school outreach programs to talk about careers in the trades and development industry, promote co-operative education programs and other initiatives to create and keep talent in the area. 

The City will undertake a robust monitoring program to measure the success of the initiatives and will update City Council on a semi-annual basis with adjustments to the implementation of the Municipal Housing Pledge as necessary.

The City will ensure that the monitoring of the implementation of the Municipal Housing Pledge through accurate and transparent data about the development approvals process.

Issue: Approximately 30% of all units approved since 2015 have been constructed. Progress of approved units to construction is largely dependent on developers and their business motivation.

Issue: Changing legislation combined with the Provincial oversight of some types of approvals can impact the momentum of private and municipal development and infrastructure projects.

Issue: Ensuring the timing of infrastructure aligns with the need for servicing growth is dependent on the consistent and timely inflow of development charges to reduce pressures on municipal capital budgets.

Issue: Availability of skilled talent in the Barrie area and the need for colleges, universities, apprenticeship programs, and professional organizations to promote careers in the development field within the Barrie area.

Issue: Increasing interest rates and inflation impact the housing market and the economy as a whole including market fluctuations and affecting conditions that influence developers’ business cases.