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© BNEWS TOWN PLEDGES TO BUILD 33,000 HOMES BY 2031/2032 ® san LEA % dlea@metroland.com ~ Oakville council has 2 pledged to the province that the town will acco! 2 modate 33,000 new housing = units by 2031/2032. The housing pledge was made du meeting of council on Mon- day, March 20, during which town staff noted Oakville could face signifi- cant financial consequenc- es if councillors declined to it actually very clear that if we do not decide to sign on- toa pledge, we should not support from them,” said town chief ad- ministrative officer Jane Clohecy. In its efforts to tackle Ontario's housing crisis, the province announced last October a goal of build- ing 1.5 million new homes by 203: As art of Bill 23, the More Homes Built Easter Act, the province ha: quested select rmunicipali, ties, including Oakville, re- spond to a Housing Pledge, identifying how they will mmodate their allo- tated housing units. akville has been given a a target of 33,000 housing onthe town currently averages almost 2,000 new units per year. In a report to council, the town's Director of P] ning Services Gabriel Charles said the town agrees there is a crisis of housing affordability in the province. He said the 33,000 hous- ing unit target represents growth the town was going to achieve regardless, but which will now need to hap- pen at an accelerated time frame (about five years ear- lier than planned). He noted this wth would be directed to the town's strategic growth ar- eas (Midtown, Bronte GO, Uptown, Hospital District) and rridors because these areas are equipped to support further intensifi- cation and are well served by transit infrastructure. i rvices director said the town has advanced the necessai policies and process im- Fresh Haddock Fillet deep fi ried in our own Metroland file photo Oakville council has approved its housing pledge. provements to accommo- date the province's target but pointed out there are many other factors at play. For example, he said, rie the market or other tions are not favourable ‘or developers to build, then Oakville will not meet its target. Charles also said that while the town can set land use policy, neither it nor the Halton Region are in a financial position to cover the additional costs of in- frastructure, which were previously provided by the housing industry. staff note il 23's waiving of the develop- ment charges developers have to pay municipalities to build certain homes means that for the building of those 33,000 units, the town will see a shortfall of between $19 million and $24 million per year in infra- structure funding. "This is expected to be alleviated by the province since it has stated that it msure municipalities wl be ‘kept whole’ as sit re- lates to the financial bur- den of paying for growth," said Charles. That provincial fund- ing, Mayor Rob Burton not- ed, will only be coming if council makes the housing ture of the pledge was not well received by some members of council. "I heard from our CAO it the pledge is non-bind- ing, it's just a pledge, but then I also heard from mayor that if we don't do the pledge, we havea gun to our heads in terms of mon- "It's almost a pledge of fealty rather than ‘Let's build houses here." 'Meara voiced con- cerns about the town being held responsible for things out of its control that pre- vent the 33,000-unit hous- ing from being reached. The councillors ulti- mately worked wording in- to the pledge to try and make the province aware of where the town's ability to introduce new _ housing ends. With these concerns ad- dressed, council voted pledge, which will be for- warded to the Minister of Municipal Housing. Book your Personalized Smile Consultation today At Village Orthodontics in Oakville, we specialize in beautiful smiles using clear aligners and traditional braces. Beer Batter and served with our signature Fresh Cut Fries, Coleslaw and homemade Tartar Sauce. 1 Piece Fish - 12.09 2 Piece Fish -Q17.99 5 Piece Family Pack -Q44.09 New Patients Welcome Schedule your complimentary consultation today! Enjoy Your all-time favourite e hassle! Daly creatfest Lunch & — QR code to 647-496-1424 ss Our full menu 2-2983 Westoak Trails Blvd. inner Specials Open daily from 7am to Yom villageorthoce Skyway Diner ¢ 645 Plains Road E, Burlington 905-592-1077 « theskywaydiner.ca | “Eh onrHoponrics insidehalton.com