Ontario to table new bill aimed at speeding up development of homes, roads and transit

Ontario's housing minister has announced a plan to speed up new home construction while also lowering costs for developers through new legislation set to be tabled on Monday.

The legislation, aimed at solving Ontario's housing crisis, would also fast-track road and transit projects in the province and comes as the Ford government struggles to meet its goal of building 1.5 million homes.

"Through our proposed legislation, we plan to cut red tape, speed up approvals and reduce charges," said Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing Rob Flack at a news conference in Vaughan Monday.

"And most importantly, make it more affordable to build and buy a home in Ontario."

Flack announced the new bill Monday alongside Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy, Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, Mississauga Mayor Carolyn Parrish and Vaughan Mayor Steven Del Duca — days before the Ontario government is set to release its provincial budget.

Last week, Flack hinted at the bill, garnering skepticism from opposition leaders including NDP Leader Marit Stiles, who said she is concerned about reports from Global News that the bill could extend the controversial MZO (Minister's Zoning Order) powers to Surma.

Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie said expanding the use of sweeping zoning orders does not guarantee housing will be built faster in Ontario, calling it "government overreach."

Work on the new bill began with previous housing minister Paul Calandra and included consultations with developers and municipalities, Flack has said.

In 2022, Premier Doug Ford pledged to build 1.5 million new homes by 2031, a target Ontario would need to build 100,000 homes a year to hit. But as recently as last October, the government's own fall economic statement showed the province is not on track to hit that level in 2025, 2026, or 2027.

"We've got headwinds in our economy," Flack told reporters at Queen's Park last Thursday. "We need bold initiatives, and we have to build faster. We're looking at the cost of housing today. It takes too long and it costs too much to get shovels in the ground."